JellyBean2605 Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Can anyone recommend any hardy but pretty (and chicken friendly) perennials? My OH is unhappy about the lack of flowers in our garden so I'm looking for some to brighten things up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 I have purple loosestrife and buddleja that work really well. (Dutch name for purple loosestrife is cat tails. ) They have lovely flowers and attract a lot of insects. I would suggest to get slightly bigger buddleja plants, because my little ones suffered some what by being trampled by the ladies... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 For long lived plants you could try lavendar, rosemary, most shrubs (many have quite attractive flowers and most have tough leaves, try ceanothus aka california lilac), roses, linaria, lilies, iris, aquilegia (which is nice and early Spring flowering). There are a lot of perennial flowering plants which I find only last a couple of seasons in my garden, its either because they are short-lived perennials or because I have quite a damp, though very sunny, garden. But this type of plant does have a lot of colour on it and the range is endless. You could also plant a lot of daff/tulip/crocus/miniature iris bulbs in the autumn for a great display next Spring. There are loads of annuals as well, which you could plant next Spring for quick colour. I find cosmos to be one of the very best, fast growing, masses of flower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Irisses got trimmed by my chickens... I think I had flowers during my holiday, but haven't seen them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Hosta's,geraniams the large perennial ones, buddlia, Euphorbia fireglow, loads of stuff that they dont touch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Mine eat lavender! They don't eat or trample buddleia, deutzia, euphorbia, spirea, hydrangeas - hmmm mostly shrubby things. I don't grow perennials where the chickens are as they tend to trample on them unless you put an upside down hanging basket over to protect them (although in the case of orpies using them as a springboard it's not long before they get crushed). They don't eat the daffs or other bulbs, but they will scrabble them if they spot a slug or snail lurking near the base. They love being under the cotoneaster weeping tree - which is their clubhouse - they sit on a dry stone wall underneath). Oh and pittisporum and the shrubby rock roses. Roses with thorns they end up with scratched combs sometimes. Wigeila, hebes. Although you would need to protect the roots with stones or broken slabs so that they don't dust bath too close and damage the roots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Add to that - echinops (globe thistle). That's a perennial and they never bother with that. Pretty blue and bees love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
