Welcome to goy Swr123. Plants that will be safe for the chickens will be your main concern but other chicken owners already know that. One of them has listed them on the following link. It gives examples of all plant types. If you need more advice on certain plants do ask again. http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/safe-plants

How deep is your border as this will have a bearing on what can actually be planted there and, if it isn't very deep would you consider lifting some of the lawn. TBH I don't think chickens and plants go together, at least not if the chickens have access t said plants where they will undoubtedly scratch up the smaller ones, and or eat them or generally just make a mess. We used to keep hens but they were kept well away from the garden.

Take a look at Obedient Plant (Physostegia Virginiana) reaches up to 4'. Mid summer into fall bloomer with long lasting flowers. It's different but fun; various shades of white, pink, purple. Flowers resemble 'Snap Dragons.' 'Miss Manners' will behave herself and won't invade the border.

I also love all the different Cone Flowers, Echinacea available today - available in all colors, forms, different heights - one for everybody. Makes a delicious cup of tea, lots of medicinal qualities.

Rudbeckia 'Indian Summer' you are sure to love. I'm growing these from seed. Giant deep golden/orange 9 inch blooms all summer long. It has that 'wow' factor.

Veronica - Royal Candles would pair up nicely with Rudbeckia Indian Summer. It has gorgeous royal blue candles.

All above will attracts all kinds of butterflies & bees. Birds will love the seeds. With 5 hours of sun, these will all do well and will nicely fill the border with color.

yep, need to know the width of the border from front to back and preferably, the aspect, that is, which way does it face (north, south, whatever). If you've a compass (or one on your smartphone,) stand with your back to the border and hold the compass in front of you to work it out.

A couple of shrubs you might like: Pyracantha can be trained more or less flat along a fence - you can do it with canes if you don't want to attach anything to the wall - PM me for details. You get white flowers and red berries (until the blackbirds find them)

There are also several Pieris - Forest Flame is a nice one. New growth is bright red leaves that turn green later. There are tassels of white flowers too, and its evergreen. You can keep it to size by pruning - and this encourages new red growth too.

You can train Garrya elliptica on a fence too without attaching it (with careful pruning).Evergreen with long silky catkins in spring.

Lots of the Berberis have red leaves and yellow flowers - many different sizes so be sure to check first. Remember the plant labels often give the size after 10 years, which is often not the same as the eventual size!

You could protect the roots until established with a length of chicken wire just under the soil surface.

All the suggestions for particular shrubs/plants are fine but, until we know the depth of the border and the aspect we really can't give a proper answer.

I disagree Mg. SW gave sufficient information to accommodate a broad selection of colorful plants & shrubs. Any one of the above suggestions would do fine with just the information given.

Given that we have no idea how deep the border is? Could simply be a foot, I've seen that before...

Aye, could be very narrow, and its up in Cheshire - if it faces east or north east, that would rule out some plants because of exposure to cold temperatures or cold winds. We could all give lists of plants, but we don't know whether they'll be entirely appropriate or not at this stage.

That's what SWR is asking for - a list of tried and true shrubs/plants - no need for superfluous information.

So she might be but, without that info., we could be giving useless advice!

You always give very good advice

Ha ha, oooh, funny, just got back from a few days away (freezing cold) and that word 'superfluous', in this context, made me fall about, he he... I was just trying to imagine designing a border layout with plants without knowing the aspect or width of said border - I'd never get paid! But then, I wouldn't do that anyway.... No factual information regarding a planting area is ever superfluous, in reality,; in fact, its essential.

You ought to know better.

Not knowing hte width of the border was the reason for suggesting couple of shrubs that can be trained against fence without attaching them.
Come to think of it you could grow a cordon gooseberry or redcurrant that way too - they fruit very well trained like that.

Aspect Stera...

You are fine Stera. Galileo may have needed a compass, but you don't. No need for aspect. They can be grown as a corden, a fan, standard or typical bush.