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It’s a very special time of year for the peafowl at my Bedford, New York farm - it's the beginning of breeding season.
From March until early August, the peacocks display their stunning and iridescent tail feathers, strut back and forth shaking their feathers and hindquarters to produce a rattling sound, and make loud calls to the females. The peahens tend to choose males with the longest, most colorful tails. It’s always very interesting to watch these mating rituals up close - the "tail show" can be quite amazing. Many of you comment on how much you enjoy the posts on the animals at my farm, so I thought it was a good time to share this update on my gorgeous birds.
Enjoy these photos.
My peafowl coop is fully enclosed to protect them from predators. It is difficult to see, but I devised a way to also keep them from flying out of their pen – we ran monofilament fishing line across the top from one side to the other. The lines keep predators out, but they don’t take away from the beautiful skies above. Here, two peacocks are fanning their gorgeous tails in competition for the females during breeding season.
Here is a closer look at the gorgeous eyespots on this mature male’s tail feathers.
Peafowl are members of the pheasant family. There are two Asiatic species – the blue or Indian peafowl native to India and Sri Lanka, and the green peafowl originally from Java and Burma, and one African species, the Congo peafowl from African rain forests. All my peafowl are Indian.
Researchers found that the longer the train feathers, the faster the males would shake them during true courtship displays, perhaps to demonstrate muscular strength.
As beautiful as peafowls are, they don’t make very melodious sounds. Peafowls have 11 different calls, with most of the vocalizing made by the peacocks. And, with their sharp eyesight, peafowls are quick to see predators and call out alarms. Oftentimes, I can hear them all the way from my Winter House. And every time I call out to them, they respond.
Here is another peacock fanning his tail on the other side of the coop. He is also doing the ritualistic dance.
During the dance, the peacock turns in circles showing off his tail. This display is known as “train-rattling.”
Here, one can see the peacock trying hard to attract this peahen. Peacocks have their full length tail feathers once they are at least three years of age. Peahens usually choose males that have bigger, healthier plumage with an abundance of eyespots.
The stiff rear feathers underlie the front feathers and provide support when the whole tail is raised.
Unfortunately for this peacock, the female did not seem interested and just walked away.
No matter the species, these male creatures boast impressively sized and patterned plumage as part of the courtship ritual – it’s so interesting to watch.
While these birds are ground feeders and ground nesters, they still enjoy roosting at higher levels. In the wild, this keeps them safe from predators at night. My outdoor birds all have access to natural perches made from old felled trees here at the farm.
Here is a peacock perched in one of the outdoor trees.
Peafowls very hardy birds, and even though they are native to warm climates, they do very well in cold weather as long as they have access to dry areas away from strong winds. These birds will spend most of their days outdoors, and nights in their coop where it is warm and cozy. Both male and female peafowls have the fancy crest atop their heads called a corona.
Because most of these birds have grown up here, they are all very accustomed to the crew and always love visitors. Many of them walk up to the gate as soon as one nears.
All peacocks and peahens will look you in the eye, but if you stare at them or seem aggressive in body movements, they will feel threatened. I love how friendly all my peacocks and peahens are with people.
Peacocks and peahens are very smart, docile and adaptable birds. They are also quite clever and very curious.
The birds get a healthy mix of cornmeal, soybean, and wheat. I also feed the birds spinach, cabbage, and squash. In the wild, peacocks are omnivores – they eat insects, plants, and small creatures. They do most of their foraging in the early morning and evening.
This day was a bit windy and cold, but this hen loved sitting out in the sun.
At one point, three males were dancing all at once in front of the coop.
Peafowls are so beautiful – especially the males with their long tails, but do not underestimate their power. These birds are extremely strong with very sharp spurs. Full-grown, peafowls can weigh up to 13-pounds.
After breeding season ends in August, the males lose their long tail feathers and then grow them all back before the next breeding season begins. The train gets longer and more elaborate until five or six years old when it reaches maximum splendor.
Every autumn for as long as I’ve been gardening, I’ve covered all my boxwood shrubs to protect them from the heavy snowfall, freezing temperatures, and damaging winds of winter. And, every spring, when the ground begins to thaw, it’s all removed and stored away. The outdoor grounds crew began this task last week when temperatures rose into the 60s. They removed the burlap along my long and winding pergola. The entire process is a big undertaking, but knowing my plants are protected during the cold season is a great comfort. And seeing all the healthy, intact shrubbery and foliage at the start of spring is an even greater delight.
Enjoy these photos.
Last week, the weather here in the Northeast was pleasant and mild, so my outdoor grounds crew was able to get a lot done outside in the fresh air. Here are Pasang and Chhiring working on the long and winding pergola.
We remove the burlap once the temperatures are consistently above freezing and before Easter. Chhiring removes the wooden strips that help sandwich and secure the burlap around the specimens. These strips are at the bottom of the frames.
The strips are collected in one crate and stored for next year.
As the burlap is removed, Pasang carefully rolls the fabric for storage. The boxwood has grown so much over the years. Every winter, these burlap tents are made taller and taller to accommodate their size.
And every year, we work on improving the structures, so they are more streamlined. This season, we used the same metal rods used for the burlap frames along the Boxwood Allee. The frames are actually part of hoop house kits – strong industrial steel ground uprights and purlin pipes. I ordered all the piping from Growers Solution, a family-owned business in Cookeville, Tennessee.
Pasang removes the metal framing carefully, once piece at a time.
These pipes are made from rolled galvanized 16 gauge industrial tubing. If cared for properly, these pieces will last a good, long time.
As the burlap is lifted, the beautiful green boxwood is exposed once again. Some question whether covering plantings each winter really helps, but look how lush and intact the plantings are when uncovered – I definitely feel it is worth the time and effort.
Here, Pasang removes the wooden stakes that hold up the metal support rods. These stakes, which are an inch-and-a-half by an inch-and-a-half, were milled right here at the farm.
These wooden stakes are gathered and stored again for use next year. It is important to me that nothing is wasted here at my farm.
On one side of the pergola is this weeping copper beech tree characterized by its shape with sweeping, pendulous branches. Here, one can see the trunk of the tree and all its interestingly shaped limbs. These trees can grow up to 80-feet tall and tend to be wider than they are high. I have several of these specimens around the farm.
And up close, one can see the growing buds. It will soon be covered in gorgeous dark burgundy colored foliage.
Here is Chhiring removing the burlap from one of the taller shrubs. He’s using the end of one of the metal poles. All of the coverings are custom wrapped and sewn to fit each individual shrub, hedge, or bush.
Underneath, long bamboo stakes are used to create a frame for the burlap. We had a particularly snowy winter. Because of these well-constructed burlap covers, any snow accumulation simply slid down the sides of the structure.
Chhiring removes the bamboo, but look how intact the shrub is – no branches were splayed at all.
Pasang rolls up more burlap. We use industrial burlap that’s available in giant rolls of 40-inches or 60-inches wide. These covers are used for about three seasons before being replaced.
Here, Chhiring ties the rolled burlap with jute twine. All these rolls of fabric will be placed in our storage shed where it can be kept dry. One of the few downsides to this fabric is that it will start to fray and disintegrate after time, especially if exposed to moisture.
Chhiring affixes a label indicating which boxwood shrub it covered, so it can be reused next year for the same planting.
In general, burlap is very strong and can withstand weathering and repeated wetting and drying with minimal loss of durability. I also like the natural tan color.
Here is a pile of burlap covers properly tied and labeled for storage. My crew has been doing this for years – they have streamlined the process.
After all the burlap is removed, all the materials are neatly carried to the truck. Taking down the burlap is a much faster process than putting the burlap up, but it’s still very time-consuming.
And here is one section of the pergola once all the burlap is gone – removing the burlap changes the entire appearance of the area.
And here is another side. The burlap removal reveals what we hope for every year – green, healthy boxwood. Soon, these beds will be filled with colorful alliums, lilies, camassia, and fritillaria.
March is always a busy month here at my Bedford, New York farm. Spring is officially one week away and everyone is getting ready for the growing season.
As part of the preparations, we start many vegetables and flowers from seed inside my greenhouse. We begin this process soon after the New Year and sow thousands of seeds - seeds we order from our favorite sources, and seeds I find during my travels. Many of this year's seeds and other supplies are from Johnny’s Selected Seeds in central Maine. Starting from seed isn’t difficult. They can be planted closely together in seed starting trays, and then pulled apart easily when they're ready to move into larger pots or outdoors. Yesterday, Ryan started some peppers, violas and foxglove.
Here are some photos, enjoy. And remember, Daylight saving time returns this weekend, so be sure to “spring forward” one hour before you go to bed tonight.
Many of my seeds are from Johnny’s Selected Seeds – a privately held, employee-owned organic seed producer in Winslow, Maine. Johnny’s offers hundreds of varieties of organic vegetable, herb, flower, fruit and farm seeds, along with all sorts of gardening supplies and accessories.
Every year, I get a good selection of both flower seeds and vegetable seeds from Johnny’s. Once they arrive, Ryan lays them out on the large table in the head house and sorts them according to type.
Once they are all organized, Ryan determines what order they will be started in the trays depending on how long it takes each plant to germinate. Starting from seed and nurturing them as they grow is among Ryan’s favorite gardening jobs.
Then he prepares markers for the plants. On each one, Ryan writes the seed variety and places it with the seed packet.
Markers are available at all garden supply stores. These wooden pot labels are from Johnny’s. At just about four inches long, these wooden birch veneer labels are ideal for indoor seed starting trays or individual pots.
Seed starting trays are available in all sizes and formations. Select the right kind of tray based on the size of the seeds. The containers should be at least two-inches deep and have adequate drainage holes. These can be saved from year to year, so don’t throw them away after the season. Our trays are also from Johnny’s.
Here, Ryan uses a tray with 72 separate cells. It’s best to use a pre-made seed starting mix that contains the proper amounts of vermiculite, perlite and peat moss. Seed starting mixes are also available at garden supply stores.
Ryan spreads the soil mix across the trays, making sure every cell is filled. The mix should be level with the top of the tray.
Using fingers, a dibber, or a closed thick marker pen, make a shallow hole in each cell.
The depressions are not deep, just enough to hold the seed in the center of each cell.
Ryan places a label at one end of each row indicating the variety of seeds that will be planted. In some cases, one variety gets two rows.
Some seeds are very small – be very careful when pouring them out of the packet. Ryan drops the seeds into the cells directly from the envelope – about two for each cell. Germination is never guaranteed, so multiple seeds are always planted. This provides a better chance at least one will take root.
Seeds are usually started about two months before the last frost in the area. If you’re not sure, check online or ask garden center associates when the last frost usually occurs in your location.
Once the entire tray has been filled, Ryan adds soil and covers the seeds completely.
Here, Ryan prepares flower markers for violas and foxgloves.
These seeds are much smaller, so Ryan uses a hand seed sower – also from Johnny’s. This tool allows one to control the flow of seeds through five different size outlets. The funnel-shaped spout makes it easy to return unused seeds to packet.
Once again, Ryan adds more soil, covering all the seeds and leveling off the top of the tray. And then he lightly pats the soil down, so the seeds have good contact with the medium.
This tray is also all done, with the appropriate labels in place. Eventually, the seedlings will be moved into trays with larger cells and then transplanted into the flower garden or the vegetable garden.
Some trays go into our commercial-sized Urban Cultivator. It is kept in the head house of my main greenhouse. It weighs 545-pounds and can hold up to 16-flats at one time.
Ryan covers both of the newly seeded trays with humidity domes. These domes remain positioned over the seed trays until germination begins.
The idea is to create a mini greenhouse environment for the plants.
The Urban Cultivator’s pre-programmed control center adds just the right amount of water, light, humidity, and air.
If you love gardening as much as I do, get a copy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds catalogs. I discovered Johnny’s years ago and have been using their seeds, plants, and tools ever since. Johnny’s provides practical solutions for both the home gardener and the professional farmer and uses the expertise from great horticultural masters such as Eliot Coleman. What seeds are you starting? it’s such an exciting – we’ll all be out in the gardens before we know it.
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