Hi GPODers!
Today we’re returning to the garden of Tingshu Hu and her husband, Philip Zhao, in Dunstable, Massachusetts. Tingshu has shared their vibrant space several times in the past (Tingshu’s Low Maintenance Garden, Flowering Trees in Tingshu’s Garden, Summer in Tingshu’s Front Garden, and Summer in Tingshu’s Back Garden), but most recently their designs were featured in issue #221 of Fine Gardening magazine! Be sure to check out that feature here: A Space Created with Chinese Design Elements and English Garden Aesthetics
Though there is endless plant and hardscape interest to be explored in this New England garden, Tingshu is sharing another element of the garden that provides as much benefit as entertainment: A flock of chickens!
We have about 30 chickens. They produce most of the fertilizer for the gardens. When the growing season is nearing an end, we invite them to the gardens to eat whatever they like, the flowers, leaves, seeds and bugs.
A Yokohama rooster follows a black hen. One of their favorite flowers is the white sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima, Zones 5–9). After a few days, all the white petals will be gone. Then I will pull out some alyssum plants from the front garden and bring them to the chicken yard. They also munch on leaves such as sweet William (Dianthus barbatus, Zones 3–9) and Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum × superbum, Zones 5–9).
In the center of the back garden, the Prairefire crabapple (Malus ‘Prairiefire’ Zones 4–8) is loaded with red berries. The small birds have started to eat the berries but they are out of reach of the chickens. In the winter, I will collect the berries and feed the chickens.
The small rooster is an old English game bantam (silver duckwing). He is 2.5 years old. The hen is a barred rock, 1.5 years old.
A buff rock is strolling along a path. She is also 1.5 years old.
The silver duckwing rooster and two barred rock hens. The hen below the Solomon’s seal is 9.5 years old.
A Columbian rock hen on the stone retaining wall. She is 4 years old.
During the summer, the chickens are kept in the chicken yard, taking care of the fruit trees. The rooster on the head of Philip is a black tailed Japanese white bantam. His favorite sport is flying on top of a human, luckily, never pooped on the head.
The gray polish hen is 10.5 years old. The black polish is 8.5. They are not related but are attracted to each other due to similar goofy personality. They don’t mingle with other chickens, possibly because they are conscious that other chickens think they are weirdos. They are very sweet birds. They don’t see very well, so I can approach them from behind and catch them by surprise. All visitors love them.
The Yokohama rooster crowing on a peach tree. He does eat some peach after crowing.
My granddaughter (2 years old)’s favorite activity is feeding the chickens. In early May, forsythia flowers are very convenient. The flowers on the lower branches have been eaten clean. I cut off some upper branches every day to feed the chickens. They are not wasted since forsythia is very vigorous and needs to be heavily pruned every year. The tiny hen on the left is an old English game bantam, she is 11.5 years old. I like to bring her to a hidden place and feed her bugs or broken eggs.
Thank you so much for sharing your fantastic flock of funky birds with us, Tingshu! With every new bath of photos you share from your garden, the more and more interesting your space becomes.
Do you garden with chickens? Or maybe you have some ducks that call your garden pond home. We’d love to see your feathered friends! Follow the directions below to submit your photos.
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