Landscaping and Plantings for a Free Range Flock

[DonnaFreak]

I'm so glad to have found this thread! My coop is in place, my garden spot will be de-sodded and tilled next week, my raised bed herb garden will be built at the same time, and I'll be going to a fruit tree grafting class on Tuesday and will be bringing home a sapling or two to plant. But as you can see from this picture, that will still leave a large part of my yard "uncovered" and we saw a hawk on the wire in our back yard a couple of months ago!

I plan to plant a couple of rose bushes, and would like some decorative grasses as well. In this picture, I'm standing in the front corner of my back yard looking diagonally to the back corner. As you can see, the Maple tree in the far back corner is the only protection I currently have against aerial predators. Past the two coops, partially hidden from view in the pic is where my vegetable garden will be with squash plants they can hide under.

My first chicks won't arrive until April, so hopefully anything I plant will be well established before the chicks are big enough to free range. So what can I plant that will grow quick and provide some protection from hawks until the fruit sapplings get big enough to help? Any ideas will be very much appreciated!

Donna

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm so glad to have found this thread! My coop is in place, my garden spot will be de-sodded and tilled next week, my raised bed herb garden will be built at the same time, and I'll be going to a fruit tree grafting class on Tuesday and will be bringing home a sapling or two to plant. But as you can see from this picture, that will still leave a large part of my yard "uncovered" and we saw a hawk on the wire in our back yard a couple of months ago!

I plan to plant a couple of rose bushes, and would like some decorative grasses as well. In this picture, I'm standing in the front corner of my back yard looking diagonally to the back corner. As you can see, the Maple tree in the far back corner is the only protection I currently have against aerial predators. Past the two coops, partially hidden from view in the pic is where my vegetable garden will be with squash plants they can hide under.

My first chicks won't arrive until April, so hopefully anything I plant will be well established before the chicks are big enough to free range. So what can I plant that will grow quick and provide some protection from hawks until the fruit sapplings get big enough to help? Any ideas will be very much appreciated!

Donna

If I were working with your yard... oh how much fun that would be to start with a blank slate!!! I'd put up a couple of bean or other tee-pees. I would also put up some pallets supported with cinder blocks, or something similar, perhaps plant some sun flower, corn, and sorghum patches here and there. You could also plant some white clover, and do a couple of beds of tall growing plants for the chickens to forage. (wheat, oats, barley) Then, of course, you could plant some raspberries/blackberries. Those spread nicely, and birds as well as people love the fruit.

 

[peastix]

commenting to subscribe. Love all the pics.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Welcome DonnaFreak and Peastix. Thank you and don't be shy with photos of your own and advice.

My photos are slow at the moment as I live in the great white north. Arg. Come on spring!

 

[memphis]

Hey folks! Boy is spring "springing" here! Even our redbuds are blooming. Still cant believe its just February.

Donna...overhead screening is critical. Something your birds can run under for protection. I have several evergreens, like China Boy and several Foster hollies that I haven't limbed up for winter cover. Also have used pallets to make little "tents" they can huddle under. I grown vines on these but of course they are deciduous. Even so, they do provide a good hiding spot during the winter. And of course they provide shade during our nasty hot summers...plus a wind break. My birds HATE the wind. Even on a temporary basis....while you grow cover....its important for them to have several places to hide from overhead attacks!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Hey Donna: I see alot of open-ness there for sure. I would say some well placed Blackberry bushes. Fast growing Pine trees. Those Hydrangeas I featured on the thread...those are good and beautiful. I like all of what Lazy and Memphis said. You might have to put up some man-made covers until then. I like the idea of raised pallets in strategic spots. Just a few here and there to get them to the cover of the scrub brush or what have you. I would look at putting a few nice things on the North side of a building. Because guess where the birds will be in the heat of the summer. So look for some Shade loving stuff first and get that established.

And Memphis with her spring popping up in February! You realize now Memphis you are obligated to get this party restarted with a Photo Montage.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

A New Season is Dawning....

Green shoots of grass are being plucked heartily by my flock in the lawn. They are being chickens. Spring is so glorious. I love seeing them out of the coop and the run and on to better things: hunting, foraging, grazing.





Spring is putting a strut in our step!




For my zone they do not recommend raking or garden cleaning for a bit (mid May, and seeding a garden and plants until Memorial weekend). We have snow going on over by the great lakes just 100 miles East of me. So Frost and snow still very much can happen here yet. I've left the dead flowers up yet. But I'm getting antsy. I would say we are about 3 weeks ahead schedule on our spring though this year. Just by our ice off on local lakes and such. so I'm probably going to time that in my garden as well and make those adjustments. I'll probably start digging in and cleaning up next week.

How's everybody else doing?

 

[lazy gardener]

I've cleaned out my raspberry canes, raked all the old leaves and debris out of the bed to help control borers (I hope). Have a short row of sugar snaps and spinach planted. A friend came over and grafted a seedling pear for me. (Seckel scion) I have more Seckel, Bartlett, and Clapp's Beauty Dwarf. He suggested that I get some rooting hormone and try to root the remaining scions. So... we're heading into an other gardening adventure! Hope to get the raspberries and trees fertilized tomorrow. It's been cold and rainy all week.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Sounds nice Lazy. Jerryse and Ralphie on our Minnesota thread are working with scions and grafting. Pears, plums I think.

 

[memphis]

My tomato plants are blooming. I can hardly wait....one of my favorite things.
Dividing & moving around a few things. I have lots of help!!