The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Gardens => Topic started by: pgkevet on June 11, 2014, 08:00:14 am
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I don't have the time/inclination (usually) to bother with flower growing here ...there's enough to do with my land. But this year I thought I'd make up a few tubs and baskets for a splash of summer colour. In my usual mean way I grew from seed.. geraniums, petunia and lobelia and tubbed them up..in the greenhouse until nicely coming into flower.
Out they came last week - looked good for a while until the chicken decided how much they liked eating them........
....at least they spend less time in the strawberries....
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I know that feeling ::) . I love to see my :chook: :chook: around the garden but it is a constant battle to keep them off anything precious, Mrs Fox has taken care of that problem though :'(
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Oh how infuriating :rant:
If they're not completely pecked out below the first shoots, and if you protect them, then they will grow back, a bit later than usual of course.
No poultry or other livestock is allowed into my flower garden - which is easy here as there is no access from the paddocks. When we had muscovies they would fly over the roof to get to the flowers :&>
There are a few poisonous plants in there so it's strictly no sheep, no exceptions.
I have other places I would like to put some tubs but they will be eaten so no point.
Hanging baskets would be fine, for next year?
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Apart from the odd escapee this year until we could distinguish the rescues and know which were flying out, our chooks are banned from free roaming between spring and autumn. They have a party through autumn and winter clearing all the veg areas ready for spring.
I'd go for hanging baskets too if you arenfree ranging the chooks.
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I did put up a couple of hanging baskets too...
What I'll have to think about next year is flowers chooks don't like since OH is slightly eccentric (nuts) over her rescue hens - checks on them all several times a day - under hedges, edge of woodland, anywhere in 3 acres of curtilage and obviously they have a heater in their hen house for cold winter nights.....