GOOD EGGS

How does your garden grow?

Two BHWT supporters turn their passion for gardening into a blooming bounty for hens

Liz Ruddock lives with her three grown-up children and their precious cohort of animals; two chocolate Labs, five cats and five wonderful hens: Lacey, Captain Beaky, Veronica, Flopsy and Fluffy.

Liz adopted her hens from the BHWT and has been besotted with them ever since. She tells us “the amount of pleasure they bring all of us was why I decided I wanted to give something back to the BHWT and donate my plant sales funds.”

Liz has been growing her own vegetables and flowers from seed for the last two gardening seasons and sells them in her front garden in an honesty box. She grows pretty much everything from onions to tomatoes to courgettes and she isn’t stopping there!

Liz has become a popular fundraiser in the local community and has had some unexpected help from her customers. Not only do they keep coming back and buying her produce, but they also donate old pots and seed trays so she can carry on the good work.

Liz found that gardening has helped her to process her brother’s passing five years ago. And as such, she likes to be fully immersed in the garden which gives her peace of mind.

What helps even more is when her five hens all muck in, helping her in their favourite spot: the compost heap! Liz says “They love to peck for worms and scratch the turn over, which is very helpful! She continues, “there is nothing quite like seeing a hen basking in the sunshine, on its side with its leg stuck out. They look so happy and contented.”

It’s always heart-warming to hear hen keeper’s stories, especially when they are so positive and it was good to hear Liz talk about her plans for the future; to retire somewhere with more land so that she can host her own BHWT rehoming site and continue to support the charity she loves!

When asked what advice she would give to others thinking of fundraising for the BHWT, she simply said: “just get involved in anything you enjoy then it doesn’t become a chore.”