Do you ever feel like your backyard or garden looks horrible? Me too.
I think by the time December rolls around I’ve pretty much had about 4-6 weeks off from any serious gardening, and I start to feel the itch to get out there and do something again.
So while the boys were inside watching a football game yesterday, I spent most of my day pulling up brush in the backyard. When the kids installed the chicken run this past summer I never got around to clearing the brush in front of the run. I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to plant in front of the wire fencing yet, but I was thinking about planting a few of those bulbs I picked up the other day at Lowe’s.
Ideally, I would love to plant some sort of vine up the sides of the chicken run, but I don’t see how it would be possible. I have a feeling the chickens would just munch on what ever I planted, so maybe some sort of flower garden in front of the fence would be a better solution. What do YOU think? Anyway, all I know is that it felt good to spend an entire afternoon outside yesterday, in the pouring rain pulling up roots and weeds. Even if I have no idea what I’m going to plant, at least the area is cleared {for now}.
Now I only have about half an acre to go until I’m all done.
~Mavis
Kimberly R says
a half an acre?! we live on an acre and I feel like it’s a never ending project on chopping down trees and clearing brush!! More power to you Mavis.
Tara says
We have jasmine going up the fence around the chicken coop and they don’t seem to bother it, in fact they hide inside during the day at times, especially when it is hot out. The beautiful fragarance in the summer is an added bonus.
Amanda says
Make sure you know which bulbs and plants are poisonous to the chicks before planting anything near their run! I know daffodils are poisonous to cats, etc.
Dena says
Just came across an ivy this am you might be able to use. It is Malabar Spinach, a vining plant that you can eat like spinach, but best of all, it is a tropical plant that thrives in the heat. The chickens can have the bottom leaves & your family can have the top ones during the summer.
Mavis says
Thanks Dena. 🙂
Dena says
Forgot to mention that you can get Malabar Spinach at Baker Creek Seed Co.
Brenda says
Chickens like nasturtiums, it will climb and its edible. That is what I am going to grow outside of the run.
Mari says
Wisteria is one they don’t bother, plus they like the shade it gives. Put some plastic, cardboard or wind break between it and the chooks when it is in its tender tasty young stage, then when higher than the chooks it will do fine. Will need a bit of pruning occasionally but otherwise just does its thing. You can get it in white, pink and purple shades. Smells glorious in spring too…. and the leave and fallen flowers racemes are wonderful in compost bin, or for the chooks to scratch in. It is deciduous so means the chooks get more sun in winter unlike some jasmines. Clematis is another good one.
Just to gloat… its 25C (80F) and brilliant sunshine here in NZ today.