Once you have your backyard chicken coop in place, you must not forget decor details. It does not matter what kind of chicken coop you have built or modified, you must add a little fun with details. Chicken coops are usually a small charming structure, which lend themselves to fanciful decorative touches in any style you prefer.

Elements like paint color, flea market finds, pots, signs, tools, barrels, repurposed treasures can all reinforce the style and look you seek for your chicken coop. Just take a moment to reflect that anything you do, add, or expose your chickens to will be safe for them. I do not decorate inside my chicken coop, only the outside.

Our chicken coop is a rustic style, in a country setting. Some of the decorative touches I used early on, and some have evolved over the years. Here are a few of our chicken coop embellishments that add to its charm.

Planted a showy climbing vine, on one side of the chicken coop. This vine is very happy, and has climbed up and over to the front side of the chicken coop. Planting vines and greenery soften your chicken coop, and add to its appeal.

Planted narcissus bulbs which bloom in winter, along side of the outside chicken pen. One year I planted foxgloves which were gorgeous, but eventually realized they were poisonous and not the best near our chickens, or in our garden. I like to have something colorful blooming in that spot for each season.

Mounted a working "Chicken Weathervane" on top of the roof. You can purchase on the internet weathervanes in wonderful designs, which are scaled down in size for small buildings.

Pair of blooming tree roses greet you, in front of the chicken coop front door. One year, one tree rose was a gopher casualty, but I was able to find another one and replace it.

Whimsical "Farm Fresh Eggs" sign, a gift from my brother and his family.

Vintage hen statuary and potted chicken feeder mimic the real life of our chickens behind them.

If you have other decor ideas for chicken coops, please share in comments.

My mom who is a Master Gardener in Missouri, during her last visit here introduced me to the perennial, Lotus Maculatus, Gold Flash. It is a great trailing plant for a pot or even ground cover. It has dense green foliage and large beak-shaped yellow orange flowers. It also comes in a bright orange-red colored version called Amazon Sunset. The Lotus averages 3-6" high and 36-72" wide (trailing). It will do well in full sun or partial shade. It likes regular water, in fact I water it every day, when I am tending to my chickens. There are two more species of Lotus, Berthelotii (Parrot's Beak) and Corniculatus (Bird's Foot Trefoil). Zones vary by species.

This particular Lotus Gold Flash was planted within a draining pot, that fits within the rim of the vintage tall chicken feeder. Vintage chicken feeders are so much fun to pot up, and have so much character. One can usually find them for a reasonable price, the more rust the better the character, and they look great potted. This is a very tall chicken feeder, the only one I have ever seen, that a dear friend and fellow chicken aficionado gave me.

In time, the Lotus Gold Flash has beautifully cascaded over the top. In the shallow bottom rim, where chickens would normally be pecking for feed, I have planted Echeveria perennial succulents around the base. Echeveria require less water than the Lotus, and also planted in a shallow rim will stay on the dry side. The colors of the Lotus foliage and the Echeveria mirror each other nicely. These two plant types are a great complement to the tall chicken feeder. My little vintage hen statuary likes her potted vintage chicken feeder so much, she is staying close by.