Today we buried our pet chicken as she passed away. The kids are upset by the whole thing and chose to let her be buried under their big climbing tree. They'd like a flowering shrub or plant to put on the ground over her. What can I put there that's colourful and going to last (I don't want it dying and the kids getting upset about that). Thanks in advance.
echoriath,
Apr 14, 8:37am
Hostas like shade. They bloom, but but they generally die back at the end of the season, but being perennials they will come back in the spring. Could be a good opportunity to teach about the cycle of life? If you want want something evergreen that blooms, so an azalea might be ideal. They can do well in the shade. Lavender also stays green year round and smells lovely.
trade4us2,
Apr 14, 8:39am
Clivia miniata
tielfan,
Apr 14, 10:08am
Maybe another lavender (we have 50 Grosso) as it was my son's chicken and it's his favourite plant. I had thought of hostas but I'd not factored the die back - I don't think he could cope with that as the chicken was his 'best friend' and might attribute the die back to her. I also know the other chickens tend to be quite respectful of lavender, they dig around the roots of virtually everything else.
Thank you all for your advice.
jan2242,
Apr 14, 11:37pm
azaleas have stunning colours
kateley,
Apr 14, 11:40pm
lavender won't really like growing in the shade. I'd go for azalea, too
tuiglen3,
Apr 15, 2:52am
What about Helebores (winter Rose)
wasgonna,
Apr 15, 4:26am
Daphne.
venna2,
Apr 15, 4:50am
I don't have a suggestion but I do appreciate what you're doing. We have had chooks in the past and I know how fond one can get of them. Percy, Tommy, Biddy, Virginia, Pauline, Sally . I remember them fondly. I wish you all well.
Rhododendrons like the shade, of course, but they don't seem quite the right type of plant.
echoriath,
Apr 15, 7:05am
Actually a fragrant rhodie would do well and their scents are divine.
fantail8,
Apr 15, 7:59am
are there going to be any animals? how old is your son? while I don;t have any suggestions every thing suggested except the clivia is poisonous. actually have just thought about chatham island forgetme nots but not sure on how they live, or Japanese anemones flower easily in shade and seem to multiply well (but again not sure if a perennial)
lilyfield,
Apr 15, 8:25am
choisa ternata blooms in shade
fantail8,
Apr 15, 8:30pm
kids climbing tree. this also means it needs to be soft if a kid falls out. rules out sticky things like rhodos. azealeas, choisa ternata, hebes. Clivia looks better and better
malcovy,
Apr 15, 10:17pm
I would not recommend the white japanese anemone as for me and many people it is invasive and very hard to get rid of. A very pretty plant when it is in flower.
sylvia,
Apr 15, 10:46pm
I love the sound of clivia for a spot I have, but how would they be in Rangiora? Sheltered spot, no sun, but we do get hard frosts and sometimes snow.
gem661,
Apr 15, 11:22pm
cynorarias?
lemming2,
Apr 16, 12:40am
If you mean Cinerarias, they're annuals. Good self-seeders, though. Clivias would be soft to fall on, but sap can be a bit generous . and sticky.
gem661,
Apr 16, 3:34am
Ajuga can be nice as a ground cover with those indigo flower spikes. Oh and the soft grey one, rabbit or lambs ears? Then again, maybe not as the foliage can be a bit delicate if it gets roughed up aye? Grey tussocks would handle that treatment though. Thyme?Chamomile? They have nice scent.
kateley,
Apr 16, 3:53am
How about a 'hen and chicken' fern?
ruby2shoes,
Apr 16, 5:19am
ooh, that is clever! or hydrangea. RIP to your chicky friend.
fantail8,
Apr 16, 8:50am
From memory I managed to kill some in the king country with some of our frosts, so it might depend if you wanted to put them in a pot that you could take inside a shed or cover with something during the colder season. I don't have patience for doing that, my plants are tough or die
tielfan,
Apr 16, 9:00am
Well we didn't get very far. Young son and budding gardener came away with a lavender and a rosemary - both of which will struggle in that spot. He was determined to have them and insisted, so I will let him pot them out and put them at the front door in the sun.
We looked at azaleas but they all had thrips and I refused to buy! I'd not thought of a hydrangea - that could really work there and we could do cuttings for the future. we have four more adult hens and three babies at the moment. He's so cut up about his chicken, rightly so - she was a clever, spirited little bird who persistently raided the vege patch and was in the house inspecting human accommodation.
I'll take my kids to another garden centre tomorrow - I narrowly escaped buying an apple tree today as the kids rationalised the chook liked windfalls to which I told them there was no space under the two trees in the shade to grow yet another apple tree! Thank you all for the support and advice.
sylvia,
Feb 2, 8:48am
Thanks fantail, might give them a miss then.
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