With natural areas diminishing, we must raise the bar of what we ask of our landscapes. We can no longer be satisfied with gorgeous gardens that are not also designed to support ecosystems.
An easy way to fill your garden with biodiversity and beauty is to add a sculptural stumpery.
A stumpery is a garden feature made from tree stumps, logs and other woody debris arranged in a naturalistic manner with plants; typically ferns, mosses and lichens are encouraged to grow around or on them. It is also a brilliant way to transform a dark spot in your garden into a thriving and flower-filled planter.
(Monika Rekola photo)
Since they first appeared in Great Britain in the 1800s, stumpery gardens tell nature’s life-cycle story as living trees and flora work in tandem with dead and diseased stumps to nourish a vibrant micro-climate. Instead of mulching these sculptural skeletons, why not use them as habitat and art?
(Monika Rekola photo)
Stumperies have been described as “Victorian horticultural oddities” and were popular features of the 19th century and the Romantic Movement, which emphasized the beauty of nature.
Stumpery gardens provide a glimpse into the interesting cycle of the forest with dead wood becoming home to various plants, insects, and small wildlife but it also creates an intriguing focal point in your garden providing four-season interest.
(Monika Rekola photo)
The secret is to fill nooks and crannies with soil and plants that enjoy shallow planting and easy care. These are great for growing and training vines as well. Native vines are a secret weapon of wildlife gardening—especially in a small garden, where hummingbirds will often visit trumpet honeysuckle and native clematis.
A famous modern stumpery is that at Highgrove House, Gloucestershire, the home of King Charles, which is considered to be the largest stumpery in Britain. The stumpery was built from sweet chestnut roots, held in place by steel bars, when he purchased the estate in 1980, and it now provides home for organically-grown derns, hellebores and hostas.
Prince Charles stumpery and foxgloves at Highgrove Gardens.
(Highgrove Gardens photo)
Dead trees also continue to provide food resources. Colourful mushrooms begin decomposing the trunk and releasing nutrients. Brave woodpeckers and curious chickadees find important nourishment tearing apart old bark to find insects underneath.
The creatures that call a stumpery home are not eager to move into a human house; creatures attracted to a damp, shady, nutrient rich stump have no desire to explore a climate-controlled building.
Bring the stumpery back, embrace decay, nurture the soil and celebrate the entire life cycle of our fantastic plants.
(Monika Rekola photo)
A certified landscape designer and horticulturalist, Monika Rekola brings landscapes to life with her passion for gardening and CAD designs, guided by a profound love for all living beings. As a budding homesteader and garden writer, she shares her passion for sustainable living. With a knack for recycling and repurposing, Monika finds beauty in simplicity, while her love for birds makes her a keen observer of nature. Committed to forest management and gardening with an ecological focus, she strives to create balance in our delicate ecosystem. She can be reached at [email protected].
