by Melissa Caughey of Tilly’s Nest Gardens and chickens seem to go hand in hand. It is so much fun seeing gardens come to life when the chickens are let out and about to free-range. We enjoy watching them spending their time, exploring, tasting, and making a mess. We often follow behind them with a rake for clean-up! A fun trend in gardening is exploring rooftop gardens. All the rage, they are popping up in the most unexpected places even on top of the chicken coop.
Photo Credit: Chickens in the Garden
Going green on the chickens’ roof is a fun way to garden in a most unique way. Many plants will thrive on the rooftops including succulents, herbs, some leafy vegetables, strawberries, and grasses. How fun to be able to pick an edible crop just for the chickens from the rooftop? Green roof tops not only provide a source of food, but they also help reduce structural heat absorption, provide insulation, provide habitats for beneficial bugs, and helps decrease extreme fluctuations in the coop’s temperature.
Photo Credit: A green roof is sustainable
Some rooftops are designed with plantings in mind. The rooftop is waterproofed and a roof-shaped planter box is constructed. Drainage is also taken into consideration. With these roofs all you do is add soil, plantings, and water. If your roof is sloped, then some old fashioned chicken wire and moss help to secure everything into place. A succulent rooftop (above) is drought resistant and stands up well to direct sunlight. Other green rooftops are added as an afterthought. In this case, the roof is waterproofed and planter boxes that fit the roof are designed and incorporated into the coop design.
About the author: Melissa Caughey is a backyard chicken keeper, beekeeper, gardener, and cook who pens the award winning blog, Tilly’s Nest. She lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts with her family of four and her Miniature Schnauzer. She regularly writes for HGTV Gardens, Community Chickens, Grit magazine, and contributes to Country Living Magazine. Her blog was recently named one of Better Homes and Gardens Top 10 Gardening Blogs. Melissa is currently working on a backyard chicken book with Storey Publishing to be released this upcoming year
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Click here for some guidelines on how to make a garden for your coop’s rooftop.
Photo Credit: Coops of any size can accommodate a green roof.
About the author: Melissa Caughey is a backyard chicken keeper, beekeeper, gardener, and cook who pens the award winning blog, Tilly’s Nest. She lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts with her family of four and her Miniature Schnauzer. She regularly writes for HGTV Gardens, Community Chickens, Grit magazine, and contributes to Country Living Magazine. Her blog was recently named one of Better Homes and Gardens Top 10 Gardening Blogs. Melissa is currently working on a backyard chicken book with Storey Publishing to be released this upcoming year
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