Afraid the answer is "there isn't one". Fencing is your friend. Fence the birds out of the garden. If they don't eat it, they will scratch around it and pull the roots out.
Start asking for wood chips. Mulch in the short term and compost in a couple of years. If you are in your retirement palace, you've got time to feed the soil. Containers in the meantime.
I've been here for 17 long years and just now starting the chickens and garden. I'm hauling chips from the county collection point. One small load at a time.