Plants and Design for Tall Garden Connected to my Duck Run. (Any tips?)

[ChickForLife]

Hello! In the past, I always planted a garden, with lots of fruits veggies, and flowers! I would sow so many but every time, only a handful would survive. Maybe I am doing something wrong, I don't know. So my first question, not really as related but, if you have any tips on how to succeed at gardening, I would really appreciate it!

Secondly, my design. So all this bad gardening lead me to try something new and kind of restart. I looked at some threads and came up with an idea. I would be a garden to the side of my duck run. This would be easier, so I can go to one place for ducks and garden and it would be some treats for the ducks to eat when they are in their run. (This is because the side of the garden will also be the side of the run.) Anyways, I used this program I found to map it out. Also, I am planning on adding a bit more run space so my actual run is not as big as the one in the design. Here it is. By the way, I am still working on it.

The fenced-looking area is my duck run. The area with the pathway is the garden. The green patch is where I want only grass. Ok, so all the white space around the paths, I want to fill up with plants! Tall, tall plants. I want it to be sort of like a maze with pretty flowers, trees, and bushes! I need help on what plants to put in there. I would also like to add a few food plants if possible!

Requirements:
1. It will be in the woods so they won't get full sunlight.
2. The plants on the outside should be taller than a human. (Not all have to be though.)
3. The plants lining the duck run should be edible to ducks but not so they will eat the whole plant. (Maybe a berry-like raspberry or blackberry.)
4. Some veggies and fruits near the grassy area.
5. No plants poisonous to ducks.

I believe that is it! Oh and also, there will be a little door from the duck run to the garden so I can open it and the ducks could forage. This means that none of the plants should be poisonous to ducks! (I added this to the requirements but left this here just for explanation.)

So, any ideas on plants to add? Thank you!

 

[CanadaEh]

here just couple of permaculture-like ideas, although i don't have experience with ducks.

1) there is lot of fertility in the run. Plant large perennials that could go with their roots under the run to capture it. If you plant grapes or hardy kiwis you can train the wines to your liking along the run fence
2) it is undesirable to grow any edible low bush plants for human consumption along the run due to scratching and dirt kicking activity through the fence - grow animal food. Comfrey is great at capturing excess nutrients from the run, have beautiful flowers and chickens love them.

 

[ChickForLife]

here just couple of permaculture-like ideas, although i don't have experience with ducks.

1) there is lot of fertility in the run. Plant large perennials that could go with their roots under the run to capture it. If you plant grapes or hardy kiwis you can train the wines to your liking along the run fence
2) it is undesirable to grow any edible low bush plants for human consumption along the run due to scratching and dirt kicking activity through the fence - grow animal food. Comfrey is great at capturing excess nutrients from the run, have beautiful flowers and chickens love them.

Thank you, that was very helpful!

Comfrey added!

 

[ChickForLife]

Maybe if I put up deer fencing I could grow vines on the outskirts of the garden, up the fence, so the plants don't have to be as tall?

 

[ChickForLife]

I added some plants! Still need more if anyone has a suggestion!

This will be my little herb area.

 

[CanadaEh]

This will be my little herb area.

we found the best to have herbs closest to the house and shortest past to the kitchen.

When thinking what would plants grow the best in certain area, how much sun the spot gets is about most important thing, followed by how dry/wet the spot is, followed by how windy.

within the garden in general you want taller plants/trees to the north (so they want block the sun to the shorter plants).

Alternatively you can arrange the trees/plants of the same height in rows in S-N direction, so every plant in the row gets some (although not full) sun.

If you remember or have pictures of your plot during different parts of the day when the leaves on that would be helpfull.

Also be prepared that not everything is going to work as you planned and you will have to move some things around.

god luck with your garden!

 

[Iluveggers]

I’m planning to put some pole beans on the outside of my run. I’m hoping it will provide some shade & grow high enough I can pick the higher beans to eat! Your plan so far sounds lovely.

 

[ChickForLife]

we found the best to have herbs closest to the house and shortest past to the kitchen.

When thinking what would plants grow the best in certain area, how much sun the spot gets is about most important thing, followed by how dry/wet the spot is, followed by how windy.

within the garden in general you want taller plants/trees to the north (so they want block the sun to the shorter plants).

Alternatively you can arrange the trees/plants of the same height in rows in S-N direction, so every plant in the row gets some (although not full) sun.

If you remember or have pictures of your plot during different parts of the day when the leaves on that would be helpfull.

Also be prepared that not everything is going to work as you planned and you will have to move some things around.

god luck with your garden!

Alright, so maybe a little more planning on where the plants should go, not just throwing them down where they fit. Got it.

After a season if it doesn't work, I can always change the layout of the garden!

Thank you!

 

[ChickForLife]

I’m planning to put some pole beans on the outside of my run. I’m hoping it will provide some shade & grow high enough I can pick the higher beans to eat! Your plan so far sounds lovely.

Smart!! I think I'll add those too!
Do you start them in a pot so they are tall enough that they won't get eaten immediately?

Thank you!

 

[Iluveggers]

Smart!! I think I'll add those too!
Do you start them in a pot so they are tall enough that they won't get eaten immediately?

Thank you!

I was hoping to just put some cardboard or a plastic placemat between the run and the beans on the outside, so that the chickens can’t peck through to the garden side. I can try to draw a picture if I’m not explaining it well! Once they get about a foot or so high they should be fine!