Pheasants are colorful, fast birds native to the forests of Asia.
I now have 11 pheasants under my care. 10 of them are golden pheasants - several adopted and the rest hatched right here at my farm last year. My newest is a young male silver pheasant, a relatively large bird with a long-tail, silvery white and gray upper parts and black and gray markings. Both sexes also have red faces and red legs. This pheasant is still acclimating to his new surroundings, but he is venturing outdoors and enjoying time with his new friends.
Enjoy these photos.
This is a handsome and impressive silver pheasant. He is still young and will continue to grow until his total body length is about 50 inches including a tail of up to 30 inches.
His markings will also continue to change until he is full grown. He will have a long black crest, with central feathers becoming more white.
Silver pheasants are quiet and mild. This one is also very attentive to his surroundings.
While mostly ground dwelling, pheasants will perch up high to escape predators.
They have four digits on their feet, with the first toe, known as the hallux, typically pointing backward for effective stability and movement. The legs of silver pheasants are red, distinguishing them from other species.
Pheasants have surprisingly good memories and can recall the location of their nests even after traveling long distances.
Silver pheasants are known to be gentle natured and tame. I’m looking forward to watching this one grow.
The silver pheasant joins my group of golden pheasants. This is a male peach golden pheasant, strikingly rare in its coloration. Males have a lot of white set off by a light, shiny golden breast and body and a full peachy ruff.
This is a female peach golden pheasant – much duller in color.
This is a male yellow golden pheasant. The yellow is a color mutation of the red golden pheasant. It was originally developed in the 1950s. To maintain the yellow coloring, these birds need shaded areas to protect their feathers from the sun.
These are also females – they are smaller and lighter than the males, and have shorter tails.
Many females show a mottled brown pattern all over the body.
I hatched several females here at the farm. They adapt easily and are known to thrive in various environments.
All my outdoor birds get a good supply of seeds. Pheasants also eat insects, berries, and plant matter – they are excellent foragers.
Pheasants are very curious and alert.
These pheasants enjoy watching the farm activity. Being near my stable, they get lots of visitors.
They also prefer to run rather than fly and can reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour if necessary to escape danger.
Here, the pheasant is greeting two of the peahens in the adjacent enclosure.
They also like to go into their natural made shelters. This one is made out of branches and twigs.
These birds, with their gorgeous colors and interesting characteristics are a joy to keep and nurture. And, well cared-for pheasants can live 15 to 18 years.
I love container plants and over the years have amassed quite a collection of potted specimens.
Walking through my greenhouses, one sees potted plants of all sizes - gorgeous giant agaves, palms, and other tropicals that I display outdoors during summer. And smaller tabletop container plants that I bring into my home whenever I entertain. These plants look beautiful arranged in my enclosed porch, set on various surfaces in my sitting room, or lined up as centerpieces on my dining room table. Among them - lush ferns with their interesting frond shapes and textures. My head gardener, Ryan McCallister, just potted up some new additions.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
I never turn away from small plants. They are inexpensive and can be very useful in multiples when decorating. And then in time, they grow to be large, lush specimens that can be displayed outdoors during summer.
These small plants are sized up in appropriate pots. I’ve been using Guy Wolff pots for many years – he makes every one of these by hand.
Before potting, Ryan puts together a suitable soil mix. The right soil mix will help to promote faster root growth and provide quick anchorage to young roots. I use Miracle-Gro potting mixes.
I also add Osmocote Plus, a controlled-release fertilizer designed to feed and support plant growth.
Ryan thoroughly combines enough of the elements in a trug bucket, so he can fill all the pots.
Unfortunately, sometimes pots do break, but don’t throw away those shards – save them and repurpose them.
Each pot has a drainage hole. A clay shard is placed over the hole to help with drainage. I also like to use clay pots because they allow proper aeration and moisture to penetrate through the sides and to the plant.
I always encourage my team to work in a production line process – it is fast and efficient.
Meanwhile, Ryan carefully dips each plant root ball into a bucket of water so it is well hydrated. The plants were quite dry, so this gives them a nice boost before planting. They will also be watered again later.
Just a few seconds in the water is all it needs. The water bath will help in the absorption of more water and nutrients. It will also help the plant become more resilient and better prepared for its new environment.
Then each root ball is placed into a cardboard box to drain slightly until it is potted.
Ryan fills the pots with the soil mix, adding just enough so it is filled just below the top rim of the pot.
Ryan places the plant in the pot at the same height it was previously.
Potted ferns are considered easy-to-care-for plants when given the right environment – well-draining soil, dappled light, and regular but light fertilization to keep them strong and healthy.
This is a baby bird’s nest fern. These are slow growers, but under optimal conditions such as warm temperatures, high humidity and bright, indirect light, these plants can unfurl new fronds every few weeks during the growing season.
Once potted and backfilled, Ryan presses down slightly on the soil to ensure there is good contact between the plant and the potting mix.
Ryan gathers finished potted plants and takes them to the greenhouse for another thorough drink.
Ferns look beautiful when grouped together. Try to pot them in similar pots, so they look best when displayed in multiples.
These newly potted ferns will do very well inside the greenhouse where they can be monitored regularly along with the other plants.
And remember, potted plants don’t have to be large to look remarkable. Small container specimens can add a touch of vibrancy to any space.
Need more light for your growing seedlings? Seedlings in my greenhouse are growing excellently with the addition of energy-efficient lighting solutions from Johnny's Selected Seeds.
My head-gardener Ryan McCallister and I start sowing seeds indoors soon after the New Year begins. We sow thousands of vegetable and flower seeds - all those wonderful seeds I enjoy purchasing during my travels, and seeds I order from my favorite sources. We plant them in seed starting trays and nurture them until they are ready to move into larger pots or outdoors. To supplement the natural sunlight, we set up an area with racks and LED strip lights. The lights are compact, easy to assemble, and provide full-spectrum lighting needs for seed starting and propagation.
Enjoy these photos.
One of my favorite garden supply sources is Johnny’s Selected Seeds in central Maine. 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.
Here in my head house, Ryan is assembling this LED Propagation Rack Kit from Johnny’s. It includes eight 48-inch LED strip lights, connecting brackets, four hangers, link cords, and a power cord.
The lights are being used for this vestibule between my head house and my greenhouse. Lights are already installed on the left rack. Notice how much more light is provided for the growing seedings.
The 48-inch horticultural lights are durable and can deliver maximum lighting without excess damaging heat.
Ryan begins assembling the lighting panels – no tools required.
The light strips are connected in pairs using the brackets provided. Ryan secures one at each end of a pair of light strips.
These click into place easily and can be adjusted in width to fit various shelf dimensions.
After attaching the brackets, they are easy to slide along the strips to the desired locations.
Link cords connect the two light strips together at one end.
Strip light hangers attach to the center of the brackets.
The hangers will secure the lights underneath each shelf.
And longer link cords connect the paired strips on the other end.
Here’s Ryan ready to hang the lighting strips.
It takes only minutes to assemble and the lights fit perfectly across our shelving unit.
Grow lights are essential for indoor gardening because they mimic natural sunlight providing the specific full light spectrum needed for photosynthesis.
Ryan uses “s” hooks on the shelves to attach the light strips.
Here they are all positioned and ready to use. They hang just a few inches from the plants. LED lights also consume less energy and have longer lifespans compared to traditional bulbs.
For our rack seedlings, we’re also using Johnny’s reservoir trays, which come in a variety of depths and fit perfectly under seed trays to catch excess water.
Ryan arranges the trays and pots to fit as many as possible onto the rack.
Once all the trays are in place, the lights are turned on. We have them on timers, so they go on and off automatically.
These lights will promote healthy growth and maintain compact and robust lush green plants. In time, these plants will move into the greenhouse and more seedlings will fill these racks. I’m so excited for this coming growing season!
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