Busy Bee Studio

Just like magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Well in the world of the internet anyway . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Just like magic . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . .

Remember that tired, tatty, old border that edged our drive . . . . . . .?

Remember how I wished I'd never started . . . . . . . . . . ?

Remember this . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . ?

Well lots of very hard work  . . . . and two months later . . . .

and just like magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

That tatty old border now looks like this . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I am most pleased with the green obolisks . . . . .

that Mr Busy Bee made . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

They have gorgeous David Austin roses planted under them,

Look sprouting already . . . . .  . . . . .  . . . . . .

The new planting now sets off our boat  . . . . . . . . . .

the "Lady Bleach Green" very nicely at the end of the drive . . . . .

Hmmmmmmm Lady Bleach Green . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . ?

As my mum used to say . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Someone round here has ideas above her station"

Hee hee!! . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It has to look worse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . before it looks better . . . . .

Do you ever say that to yourself? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I start something  . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . then think . . . . . . . . .

oh no it looks awful . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Then  . . . . . . . . . . . . I have to give myself a good talking too . . . . . . . .

and usually somewhere amongst my telling myself this and that . . .

I say " Helen . . . . . . it's got to look worse before it looks better !!"

This border is a prime example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It edges our driveway . . . . . . . .

and its been riddled with ground elder ever since we planted it.

I have battled the ground elder for years . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 . . . . . . . always loosing . . . so it's all got to go . . . . . !!

Enough is enough, I can't face another year of it. . . . . . . . .

So today we got a oil drum . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . .

And Mr Busy Bee . . . . . . . . . . he make fire . . . . . . . . . . .

(with the aid of modern technology . . . of course)

We got digging and burning, and clearing . . . . . . . .

and we have a big pile of this to move!!

Watch this space . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Happy New Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . plans . . . plotting, and . . . . scheming!!!

Happy New Year to you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I do hope you all had a wonderful Christmas  . . . . . . . . .

and are looking forward to the new year? . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Welcome to another year of Busy Bee Studio gorgeousness . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I do hope that we can spend another happy year together?

You, popping in to read my ramblings that is . . . . . . . . . . . . Hee hee!!

I thought I was long overdue to show you our kitchen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Remember this. . . . . . when I decided in November to refresh the kitchen?

and I promised to show you? Sorry I am so late . . . . . . . . . .

Christmas just takes over your life doesn't it? . . . . . . . . . . .

but then January comes along . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . .

and that gives you time to plot  . . . . . . . . and plan . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and scheme . . . . . . . .

My planning has reached fever pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . !!!

But more of that later . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What are you planning?

 

 

Silence is broken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
For those of you that don't know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . .

we are lucky enough to live in the most beautiful valley . . . .

in County Durham . . . . . . . all you can hear is the sound of the birds . . . .

I think you never really own a home like this . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

You just look after it for a while . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
Well today  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

silence was broken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

We have been "chatting" with the council for over a year now,

they needed to replace a worn out footbridge on the country walk,

that crosses through our field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
Today was the start of the work to replace it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
and I haven't been looking forward to it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
Well that's the old bridge out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Just need the new one in now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

If only it was that simple eh ?  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .

This living the dream business isn't always easy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Giving mother nature a helping hand . . . .

 

That's what gardening is all about . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .

Giving mother nature a helping hand . . . . . . . . . . .

Way back in November . . . . . . . before the ground froze solid

we planted tulips . . . . . . . . . . . . 500 of them . . . . . . . . . .

here in our long border at Bleach Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
It took us quite a while to plant them all . . . . . . . . . . . . .

and I have to admit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

that at the time in the cold November wet weather . . . . .

it seemed too much like hard work . . . . . . . .

 
but now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
Worth every back breaking minute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

They have been breathtaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The colours of the tulips echo the "Vivien's"

See here to find out more about our Viviens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . .

 
I think tulips may be my one weakness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Venus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
I have very much needed this shrub . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . .

For a long time now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It's called Cornus Venus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, Venus I like the sound of that . . . . . . . . .

Venus . . . . . . . . . . . Goddess . . . . . . . . . . . . Mmmmmmmmm . . . . .

I saw it at the chelsea flower show last year . . . . . . . . . . . .

It looked like this . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Just gorgeous eh? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
My first thought was . . . . . .  . . . . . .  . .

Well, that won't grow in the North East of England . . . . . Will it?

It is sooooooooooh gorgeous . . . . it won't be hardy?

Well guess what girls . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . .

It is as tough as old boots . . . . . . . . !!! . . . . . . .  YEAH!!

The cream flowers are actually the leaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Guess what arrived instead of an Easter Egg . . . . . .  . . . . . ?

 
A cornus venus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . .

"We" planted it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . next to the studio.

 
Thanks JBC  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I feel spoilt!!

Do daffodils make you smile . . . . . . . . . . ?

 
Do daffodils make you smile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ?

Just look at this one in our garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Just GORGEOUS eh? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . .  . .

We've planted hundreds of daffodils in our orchard . . . . . . .  . .

over the 16 years we have lived here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . .

 
And around Easter . . .  they put on a wonderful show  . . . . . . . . .  . . . .

They have definitely made me smile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

this year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .

I love to walk along the grass path . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . .

moving from one garden area to the next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(usually with a wheelbarrow full of weeds!!) 

For a tour of our garden click here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
Hope that you all have daffodils to make you smile this Easter weekend,

Oh and chocolate eggs too!!!

xx

 

The pink gardening season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
Oh just look what arrived this morning . . . . . . .

Just what every gardening, girl needs  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . for the start of her gardening season.

I am most excited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . .

( Maybe I need to get out more? )

It has a pink wheel . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .

 
and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wait for it . . . . . . . . wait for it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pink handles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . !!

 
Just goes to show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pink is not just a colour . . . . . .  . . . .  . it's a way of life !!

 

Thin Ice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
Gosh . . . . . . . . . . . . everything in the garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

is frozen, down here at Bleach Green, this morning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
The area around our raised pond looks beautiful . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . .

 
Very icy . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . but beautiful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

This is Boris . . . . . .  . . . AKA the "exterminator" . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
 He laughs in the face of danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 
Crazy  . . . . . . . . . .  . . crazy . . . . . . .  . . . .cat!!

 

Flower of the moment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The water lillies, in our raised pond . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

have been amazing this year.  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

This is my flower of the moment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Gorgeous eh? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Of course it's pink . . . . . what else do you expect?