Flowers for piggies....

[clippityclop]

I have notions of growing a couple of mixed pots of goodies such as lettuce, parsley and beans for the Newbie pigs this summer. Are nasturtiums or,any other edible for human type flowers safe to include the mix? Also, our cherry tree shedding its blossom, covering the grass with pretty pink petals. Are these harmful? By the way, gave the Newbies strawberries for the first time this week. They ate the green bits, abandoned the fruit and then shot back into the safety of their house!

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I looked on the Rodents With Attitude website- there was a post on there about nasturtiums. Safe to eat but not popular with most piggies. I grow them in my garden but for the cateroillars (I think it's Cabbage White). DD and I get over excited when we see a batch of eggs and mark the leave so we know where they are. Apparantly if you 'starve' the plant you get more flowers but I feed them because I want the leaves.

Our pear tree sheds its petals , I've never seen the pigs eat them , maybe they aren't flavoured ?

They do like dandelion stalks and flowers as well as the leaves.DH cuts them back so we get lots of new growth, we don't get many flowers

Why not grow a herb garden for them?
Parsley (curly and flat), mint, coriander
Your might be more adventurous and eat sage or basil
I did read that they can't eat sorrell (but I don't know if it's a different thing in the USA? Might not be herb sorrell?)

Lavender is popular with some pigs (looking at you GingerPig)

And they can eat edible pea-pods ( NOT sweetpeas) so I grow a few peas and harvest the leaves a few at a time.
Nice in winter , when there's limited salady things. I keep some on the windowsill.

[FernieB]

I have a huge pot of parsley which I grew last year for the boys. It has grown again this year and my lads have been harvesting already. I'm also growing a tub of carrots, mainly for their leaves which the pigs like and I have some basil and tomatoes growing too. I do have lots of lavender around the garden which is Gingerpigs most favourite thing ever. I'm also growing peas and beans but they're for me.

[clippityclop]

Thanks for your ideas as always ladies, I honestly don't know what I'd do without your piggy wisdom! I have pots of parsley (flat and curly) growing alongside masses of basil on the windowsill which I use to garnish their bowls of goodies, just liked the idea of growing something more substantial but I think I'll split the plants and get more going because they do love it.. Peas and carrots plus some lettuce will be great. Sage already outside so will offer it and see. I've tried them with lavender but they turned their noses up! 70, you've reminded me of years ago when my mum grew nasturtiums near the front door and we'd get cabbage white caterpillars coming through the letterbox! it's been too soggy here for the petals to be a problem. The Newbies have been off the lawn and out in our little courtyard munching on piles of grass and dandelions for an hour or so every day which is keeping their claws down. They sulk in their tunnel and wheek like mad when they've had enough!