Living on the edge
I’ve been thinking more about the Bjarke Ingels talk I posted about last month. You know, I almost can’t believe this now, but when we were building our first coop, I wanted to tuck it out of the way in a far corner of our yard.
Luckily, a friend of mine who’s into permaculture happened to come by at the right time and suggested that we move it closer to the center instead. He explained that one of the principles of permaculture is that life happens on the edges. When you create edges, as with a garden bed or structure, it opens up new possibilities for viewing, using, and organizing the space.
So don’t hide your coop. Show it off, and see where it leads you next. Think about things like vining plants, flowers, edibles, rainwater catchment, compost bin, tool rack, hammock or sitting area, clothesline, or even housing for other animals. Have any edgy ideas to share?
Some nice examples from our customers:
Click on an image to read more about each coop build.
2 thoughts on “Living on the edge”
Hey there, and I need to say thanks for the plans. We built our garden coop about 2 months ago and have 4 very happy hens who have become queens of our backyard. I had NO IDEA how much I would enjoy having chickens around, not to mention the amazing eggs we get daily. I let the girls out in the day and if the weather is nice, I let my kids guinea pig have the run of the coop for the day. It gives him a chance to breath some fresh air, and he seems to enjoy it. I am careful to pick up droppings and he gets a bath at the end of vacation. Just thought you’d like to know, and the coop looks incredible with our southwest dessert mountain right behind it. SO happy to found your plans and will let you know how we’re doing next year!
Thanks, Jane. I’m glad the coop plans worked out well for you. I’d love to see a picture of your coop with your kids’ guinea pig in it! Sounds like a fun “second” use for the space, especially since you’re taking those cleanup precautions.