Things to plant around the chicken run

[Cassandra]

After much discussion, John (dh) & I decided that we are going to leave our chicken run where it is now. We had originally made it so we could move it around. But that's too much work on us and hard on the run. So, there it stays.

I have a double layer of wire around the bottom two feet of the run, so the chickens can't stick their heads out and peck at young shoots. Obviously if something grew up over two feet they could get at it. And anything that pokes through their side of the wire will be fair game.

I am trying to decide which way I want to go....

I have some canna plants growing in a place in the yard where I don't like them. I could dig some up and plant the rhizomes around the coop.

The problem is, I think cannas are really ugly most of the time! When they are flowering, they look pretty. But most of the time they look dead or half dead. Maybe this is just our climate. We get really hot and muggy in the summer.

OTOH, I was reading about cannas and they seem to be a great plant for something such as that. I didn't realize how useful the canna is. (Can be eaten, can make paper out of it, jewelry, musical intruments; it absorbs toxins and on and on!)

OR

I could do some herbs around it. I was thinking something that would creep and take over for a few feet around the run, so that we don't have to mow too close to it. Maybe some herbs... thyme, some mints... things that smell good.

Or I wonder if I could transplant some clumps of clover from other parts of the yard... I don't know anything about clover, but I think it is pretty.

Whatever I plant needs to take a bit of traffic. Is there some other type of ground cover that would be suitable?

Any thoughts?

Cassandra

 

[Buff Shallots]

Cassandra, maybe you could add your gardening zone, or general location to your EasyGarden identity. That way people could recommend things better suited to your area.

 

[Cassandra]

ohhhh right! Sorry. Zone 8 in southwest Mississippi.



Cassandra

 

[aquarose]

I think white clover would be great! It would be nutritious for the chickens, if it poked through the chicken wire. It also add nitrogen to the soil it grows in. Doesn't get very tall either so you might not even have to mow it. I love the herb idea too.

 

[Anny]

Be ware with the mint, it will easy take over as much land and lawn as it possibly can. If this doesn't bother you, then go with it. I have wild mint growing in my lawn and I love it, when I cut the lawn it smells so yummy.

Plus I don't think mint will hurt the chickens.


I to was trying to think of things to plant around my soon to be chicken run, since my coop will be contained in the garage with a run going outside. I was thinking of putting a trellis up along the run (a few inch away from the run) to hide it alittle and make it prettier but I don't know what is a good climber. and covering plant.


good luck

 

[Buff Shallots]

There is a ground-cover thyme that can withstand some traffic (not a lot though). It's fuzzy, not for eating, but still smells good and has a tiny white flower. It's called Woolly Thyme.

I have ornamental grasses and daylilies on the side of my chicken run, but that's only because we built the run next to an already existing garden...

 

[offshorewife]

Cannas will completely take over after the first season. We made the mistake and planted them on one side of our chicken run. Now we fight them from taking over the entire chicken run. When my husband returns from work our goal is to get those things out of there. They really need to be planted in a place where they can be controlled with a lawn mower.

I'm not very fond of them either myself however these particular plants were from my great grandmother's yard and so they have sentimental value to me otherwise I'd completely destroy them.

 

[simple life]

Anny,
There are some really great climbing roses around. I have clematis and it comes in so many varieties. Its a great climber and pretty hardy.
I planted some Morning Glories this year, although they are annuals they grow very fast and get about 12 feet.
Unfortunately I discovered that my chickens LOVE morning glories as well and ate all of them before they had a chance to grow much.
Honeysuckle, Trumpetvine,Joseph's Coat of Many colors and pretty much any kind of ivy will grow very well.

 

[simple life]

Cassandra,
I planted Ajuga in a place in my yard that it completely took over. Its hardy and you can't kill it with a stick. I am forever ripping this stuff out since I was new to this gardening when I bought my house 15 years ago and planted it where I shouldn't have. Yes I am still ripping it out after 15 years.
It is a very low ground cover with green and purplish maroon leaves and tiny little flowers.
If you are just trying to fill in a space across the sides of the run you could use something tall and bushy.
I love holly hocks, they look old fashioned and get tall.
Sedum gets big and round and is pretty hardy in my experience.
My chickens go after all of my salvia, they love that stuff.