What kind of Flower Gardens have you planted around your coops? Post a Picture for BYC to see

[Eggette]

Whoops. I actually meant to say lemon balm, not lemon grass. Lemon balm grows well in the shade. Not sure about lemon grass but I do know that it's a good snake repellent.

Either one sounds lovely to me. Let me know how they work out for you and your girls. I know my mom has been big on lemon balm and grass for years and I always loved the smell of them. To me they smelled better than her roses.

But I can't half smell anyway, so it may have been I liked them simply because they were strong enough for me to smell.
And you said snake repellent, that does it I'm sold!

I hate snakes!

And I'm sorry to say, I went back to my local garden center today and bought one of those expensive Azaleas. Yes, I couldn't pass it up.

But I think it will be worth it in the long run, since it is a repeat bloomer and the exact color I wanted. I still need to acquire a few more, some white ones and an orange one or two. But I will just start small, plant this one for now and keep a look out for deals on the ones I need to finish filling up my bed.
My mom is gonna help me out with the hostas since she has a bunch in pots that need planting, but there was a white one I saw online that I plan to go back and buy which will add that really special something to my flower bed. She informed me today that she has a hydrangea I can have that I didn't know about. So all in all, I'm getting there, I just got to get the bed itself started.

 

[henless]

Wow,Henless, what a wonderful set up. I think im going to steal some of those ideas.

Feel free! I got the waterer and feeder ideas here on byc. Such a great site to look around and find nifty ideas on.

Henless what you've done with your coop is just lovely! It really does have that earthy woodsy feeling to it. I can't imagine how lovely your coop will be once you add onto it and border it with more beds. You will have to post pictures for us in the future to see.
My mom suggested that I should consider using cinder blocks for my raised beds, since I am having a washing problem around my run. We currently are considering landscape timbers instead though, since I got a few recently that were on sale. I just hope they are high enough to divert the water run off.

I love your feeder and drinker system!

I recently went online and bought some screw in drinker nipples cheap, to make a water bucket like yours so my chickens don't get their water dirty anymore.

I love my water bucket. I change it once a week which makes it super easy. It is a little heavy since it holds 5 gallons, but sure beats changing/rinsing the dirty flip waterers.

I had planned on using rail road ties or landscape timbers for my raised beds, but since I was going to plant veggies, I decided to go with the cinder blocks. I didn't want the creosote on the rr ties and the rot treatment in the timbers leaching into my veggies. If your only planting flowers, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Eggette]

Here are pictures of the coop my dad built for me.

It is the one I am planning to put the raised flower bed around.







And here is what I mean by my wash run off issues.

This is why I plan on planting a raised flower bed around my run, to help keep the ground from washing away and to add an extra bit of protection to my coop. I don't like having varmint holes around my run where an animal could very easily get in.






And this is coop 2, my work in progress and next project after coop one. We built this one about 4 months ago from 2 old palettes we had laying around used tin my dad had and plywood I had to buy. My grandmother gave me the lovely gray green paint which she didn't like because it was flat instead of gloss. Worked just fine for me and the flock though and it was exactly the color I had in mind when I thought this coop up.

I'm having washing problems with it though

and we may have to elevate the house to keep the ground from rotting my floor. And I am going to try and terrace the ground in the run by putting a long narrow sand box at the top of the slope.

 

[Eggette]

Here is my new flower bed. I still have to acquire some more plants to plant in it, but at least I have it established and ready for planting. My dad still has to help me close the ends in though and I'm still planning to run another flower bed off the other end of it. So what do you think of it so far, BYC?





I do believe my chickens like it.

 

[chickenmadness7]

Your new flower bed is gorgeous! I'm feeling inspired.

 

[16 paws]

Here is my new flower bed. I still have to acquire some more plants to plant in it, but at least I have it established and ready for planting. My dad still has to help me close the ends in though and I'm still planning to run another flower bed off the other end of it. So what do you think of it so far, BYC?





I do believe my chickens like it.

LOVE it!

 

[henless]

I do believe my chickens like it.

The look great!!!

Looks like they are trying to figure out how to get to the plants to help "trim" them up for you!