Suggestions for bushes/trees in run

[2dream]

I sure am glad I stumbled in here. What wonderful ideas. Pat - you always have great ideas. That teepee thing will be in my yard with moon flowers and morning glories planted around it.

 

[Brian]

Plant Photinia: Photinia belongs to the Rose Family (Roseaceae), and they grow best in warm climates with regular watering. Although hardy down to single digits (Zone 6), Photinia can become damaged with temperatures below 10-degrees. If they can be planted in a somewhat protected area, surrounded with a thick mulch layer before winter, they may get through the winter.

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

careful with morning glories.I heard they are poisonous when ingested

 

[Brian]

Scratch the photinia, I was forgetting it's toxic.

 

[patandchickens]

I dunno as photinia is going to grow especially well in most of Ohio (I'd expect frequent dieback, unless maybe you're in downtown Cincinnati

), but of course there are other shrubs like that - Aronia (chokeberry - not chokecherry, that's different) is nice and you can't kill it with a stick, but it stays sparse for years so you'd have to plant a bunch.

Hey, what about sumac, since I gather you're only wanting shade, not wintertime predator-protection? Get one of the really vigorous types and it will take over your yard (after a few years getting established) and you'll have a nice tropical-looking jungle for the chickens to play in

AFAIK it is only the seeds of morning glories that are toxic, and I dunno whether it's something that birds would even eat? I just don't know.

Pat

 

[littlelemon]

Quote:
That's a good idea. I will think about it-I know that those plants are probably pretty expensive, and I really don't want to deal with much maitenance and pruning for a plant in the run-plus I would want those berries for myself!

 

[speckledhen]

Leyland cypress. Cheap, fast growing. Great for hiding under. Mine escape hawk attack all the time under mine. They will grow very tall and quite wide, so be sure you have room for them, but they are evergreen, so will be good concealment even in winter. Youd need to check and see how they grow in your area, though.

 

[littlelemon]

Quote:
Thanks for bringing up the septic-yes, the run does go over our septic tank so I guess I should avoid those deep root plants. Hmmmmmmmm...I like the idea of a nice lilac there, I could probably plant that away from the septic and still be ok.
I also like your teepee idea. We have plenty of branches lying around!

 

[littlelemon]

Thanks everyone! You have given me some great ideas and plants to Google!

 

[chickenannie]

I have a large spreading (and tall) juniper shrub in my yard that my chickens and turkeys spend much of their day underneath. Sometimes they hop on the lower branches and perch there. they make their dust baths at the edges where its' sunny. Sometimes there are 3 chickens in 3 dust baths on the sunny side of the juniper and about 10 more "waiting" for their turn! The juniper provides great cover from hawks and it's "prickiness" keeps the cat and others away.

When my buffs were small they loved a boxwood shrub that was also very wide and very close to the ground, but they would snuggle up underneath it and take naps. They would jam themselves into the thicket of branches and I guess that made them feel safe.

I wish I had pictures of 24 tiny golden buffs all stuck under the boxwood branches of one shrub!