Coops and Blooms

Spring has sprung at the Kuntry Klucker Farm, chicks are peeping and flowers blooming. In this post I will detail how I decorate my backyard for the coming growing season. It is no secret that I tend to go overboard when it comes to decorating the backyard for my girls, this will be a virtual tour, a flower walk if you will. We will start from the coop closest to the yard entrance and work out way out.

When entering the backyard, the first coop we come to is Henwarts. Henwarts is the newest addition to the “Coop-hood” and shares a large outdoor pen with The Kuntry Klucker. In front of The Kuntry Klucker I have a row of cinder blocks. These blocks have two purposes, keeps the girls and the dirt in the outdoor pen area and doubles as planters for flowers. Every year in this cinder block row I plant petunias. I love these little super bloomers for many reasons. A few of the most important are the fact that they display lot of color, tolerate the hot afternoon sun well, and most importantly hold up well around chickens. I have a few ladies that despite my efforts will help themselves to an afternoon snack of petunia blooms. The petunia’s being prolific bloomers look no worse for the wear, recovering very quickly.

The next coop we visit on our backyard tour is my largest coop, The Kuntry Klucker. In front of the Klucker I have a large whiskey barrel full of Gerbera Daisies. Additionally, I have hanging flower baskets. With chickens, keeping flowers above their heads is a must. If at their level, they will undoubtedly make a snack out of the blooms. Found at the dollar store, these cute little baskets are just the perfect size for a few flowers. Instead of using cocoa liners that seem to lose their shape after the first two waterings, I opt to use thick weed barrier to hold the potting soil. Attached to the wood of the pen I have planted a variety of flowers in these baskets. Petunias once again taking center stage. I feel that they add a bit of fun to the girls’ homes.

As we proceed on our coop tour, we come to The Coop De Ville. Serving as a Bachelor Pen, the Coop De Ville is home to 4 White Crested Polish Bantam breeding roosters. Situated between the Kuntry Klucker and the Spice Garden, the Coop De Vills shares space with many flowering plants. In front of the Coop De Ville I have planted a white butterfly bush. Butterfly bushes are prolific bloomers and due to their size, they hold up very well around chickens.

Next, we come to the spice garden. In this garden I have lot of things planted. The tall bush with the small red blooms is a red honeysuckle bush. Taller than me (I’m 5’8″), this bush is one of the largest in the garden. These highly fragrant little blooms blanket the whole backyard with a sweet fragrance and attract many butterflies and hummingbirds to the backyard, adding to the beauty of the girls’ surroundings.

I have many of my kitchen spices planted here among the two coops that call this plot home. Roy’s Roost and Betsy’s Bliss are situated here among all the plants and spices. This year I planted a red butterfly bush, in a few months it will be beautifully loaded down with blooms giving the butterflies another place to rest and spread their wings. The chickens are fenced out of this garden area so all the creatures that visit these plants are protected from the girls. This allows many caterpillars to spin cocoons among the thick foliage of many of the plants here.

In the center of this garden, I have planted an Arona Berry bush (kin to the Acia Berry), this bush which too is taller than me has the most beautiful white blooms. I use many of the berries that this bush produces in my smoothies. The chickens also love these berries, another reason that I have to fence them out of this garden area. After the berries appear, I make sure that the girls get a good share of the spoil which they go absolutely nuts for. Amongst other plants in this garden, I have a Goji Berry Tree, Sage, Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme, and Mint.

Next, we come to the TARDIS! This is one of the funniest coops in the “coop-hood”. Painted like the TARDIS from Dr. Who, this coop is home to Silkie’s. Sharing a large plot with the Bantam Boutique I planted a rare Red Hydrangea. The deep red of the hydrangea blooms will add a pop of red and contrasting well with the blue of the TARDIS.

Finally, we come to the Bantam Boutique! At the end of the Bantam Boutique, I have a pot with several colorful annuals in it. The Polishes enjoy jumping on top of the pen to take a few samples from the flowers. On the far side of the Bantam Boutique, I have planted two yellow butterfly bushes. Not only are these bushes beautiful, but they also offer lots of afternoon shade for the Polishes that call this coop home.

In the center of the backyard, resides our veggie garden. The chickens patrol the garden ridding the plants of any available bugs. As they till the soil in search of worms and grubs, they aerate the soil, further aiding the plants. With my theropod crew on duty, I eliminate the use of insecticides, allowing me to grow organic veggies for my family. I do lose a tomato or two to my carnosaur crew, I plant enough so there is plenty to go around. The girls get their share of the spoil in exchange for their hard work.

We now come to the pride and joy of my hobby farm, the grape arbor. Several years ago, I built a grape arbor in my backyard. Grapes have been on my dream list for a long time. Not only are grapes a fast-growing easy-care crop, but the arbor can also be used as a structure to hang a swing or hammock chairs from. Attaching some patio lights to the arbor adds a nice romantic evening feel. Complete with shade from the grape vines and a place to hand swings, a grape arbor is a great addition for any backyard garden enthusiasts.

I hope that this post has given new ideas on how to decorate a backyard garden paradise. Armed with some annuals, a few hanging baskets and a few pots, you can turn any backyard space into a magical getaway.

As always, thanks for reading. If you have any questions, feel free to post in the comments. or drop me a line at kuntryklucker@gmail.com.

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