Turn an old stump into a planter – By a professional stump grinder team
A stump planter is the idea we’d choose first, because it needs no special skill and suits almost any solid stump.
Hollow out the top with a chisel and mallet, leaving a rim of wood a few centimetres thick all round.
Drill a few drainage holes in the bottom of the hollow, since Scottish rain will otherwise turn it into a bog.
Fill the space with peat-free potting soil or compost, and plant it so that the roots sit in the hollow and the stems spill over the edge.
Planting up a stump planter
Match the plants to the light, with ferns and trailing ivy for a shaded stump under trees, succulents and houseleeks for a sunny spot with sharp drainage, and heather, pansies and small bulbs for colour through the colder months.
If the stump is too shallow to hollow out, set pots on top of it instead.
A stump as a planter stand lifts a container to a better height and hides the cut face of the wood.
Plant bulbs and ground cover around the base of the stump, then fill the gap with a layer of bark. This way, the stump sits in a small garden bed and not on bare soil.
A bird bath or wildlife feature
A flat-topped stump makes a steady base for a bird bath, because it is heavy and wide and sits level.
Set a shallow dish or saucer on top, keep the water only a few centimetres deep, and add a flat stone so smaller birds can stand and drink.
In the drier months, you may need to top it up occasionally, and remember to clean the dish every week or two.
If you’d rather leave the wood alone, drill holes of different sizes into the side to make a bug hotel.
Leaving places for the insects to gather and house helps support the local ecosystem and makes you garden more wildlife friendly.
Deadwood left to rot supports beetles, fungi and other creatures that feed birds and hedgehogs, so even an untouched stump becomes a useful garden feature in a quiet corner.
Seats, side tables and stands
A large tree stump cut level makes a rustic seat or a side table beside a bench or fire pit.
For a seat, a height of about 45 centimetres is comfortable, and a table can sit a little higher.
Check that the stump is sound before anyone sits on it.
Tap it and look for soft or crumbling wood, then sand the top smooth and brush on an exterior wood oil or preservative, which slows the rot but doesn’t stop it.
Wear gloves and eye protection for any sanding or cutting, and make sure the stump doesn’t rock when you push it.
A wobbly stump needs its soil firmed round the base, or it is better ground out than used as a seat.
A fairy garden or woodland scene
Bring in some extra charm to your outdoor space by creating a fairy garden or a woodland scene. It’s your chance to get really creative!
Small stumps suit a fairy garden built from a tiny door tucked into the base, pebbles and ground cover laid around the roots, and moss, miniature ferns and a few toadstool figures for a woodland feel.
Moss is the easiest decoration of all in a damp, shaded part of the garden, since it spreads over rough bark by itself in Scotland’s climate.
Keep the stump out of full sun and mist it in dry spells if you want a mossy finish.
A tree stump garden in the shade
Victorian gardeners built stumperies, planting ferns and woodland perennials among upturned stumps and tree roots. A few old stumps of different sizes grouped together create the same look in a rustic garden.
Treat the group as the backbone of a tree stump garden, with taller stumps at the back, lower ones in front and the planting tucked into the gaps between them.
The idea works well in a woodland garden or a shaded border where little else grows well.
Foxgloves, hostas and hart’s-tongue ferns all suit the cool shade, and the wood gradually softens into the planting.
Garden art from a large tree stump
A large tree stump left standing at head height can become a sculpture, and chainsaw carving turns it into an owl, a bear or a bench with a back.
The work calls for a specialist carver and a stump of solid heartwood, so don’t attempt it yourself unless you know what you’re doing.
Sealing helps carved pieces last outdoors, but a stump already decaying inside will crack, so ask the carver to check the wood first.
Placing stump features in your garden design
Group two or three stumps instead of scattering them, with the tallest nearest a fence or hedge and the shortest beside the path.
A single planter looks stranded in the middle of a lawn, whereas one at the edge of a patio or bed is easier to water.
Repeat the wood elsewhere in the outdoor space with log edging or a timber fence, so the stump looks planned.
Keep seats and tables clear of branches that drip sap, and put the bird bath where you can watch it from the kitchen window.
When grinding the stump is the better idea
An unsightly tree stump that is rotten through, hosting honey fungus or sitting in the middle of a lawn is better removed than turned into a project, because a diseased root system can spread to living plants and no planter will hide that.
Large stumps (and small stumps) are hard to remove by hand.
A professional stump grinder cuts the stump below ground level and leaves mulch you can spread on a garden bed.
The tree stump can be removed quickly and space relevelled in a matter of days.
Plan the stump before the tree comes down
If a tree is still standing, decide what you want from it first.
Our tree removal team can fell it and leave the stump at seat height, table height or full height for carving, because it is far harder to reshape a stump once the tree is down.
Send us a photo and a note of your plans through our contact page.
Call 07946 322717 to book a free survey, and we’ll leave you a stump worth planting or grind it out for a clean start.