Garden Stumperies

Using stumps and logs to create an unusual shade garden

Today we ’re visiting with Bonnie Plikaytis and her stumperies .

My married man and I live in Big Canoe , a forest biotic community in north Georgia . I have been garden this acre of kingdom in Zone 7 for the past seven years . In 2018 , we visited the stumpery at theRhododendron Species Botanical Gardenjust south of Seattle in Federal Way , Washington . A stumpery is an arrangement of woody fabric like trunks and radical wads ( origin ball ) to make a habitat forfernsand companion plant . The woody material is arranged in an esthetically pleasing bod to make pocket conducive to the growth of the mean plant . Since I live in a forest area with passel of woody rubble , it seemed only natural to build a stumpery or two myself .

The first stumpery was built in November 2018 of logs from a large downed oak tree . The gentleman and work party that does the rock work in our garden arranged the large , sullen logs in a structurally intelligent personal manner . Once the logs were in place , I fill the empty logs and crevices between the logs with raised - bed ground .

The stumpery was placed in the garden such that in the bound the azaleas native to the prop provided a lovely backdrop , as seen in this 2020 bound photograph . The evergreen plant to semi - evergreen ferns in the stumpery let in beautiful Sir Henry Joseph Wood fern(Dryopterispulcherrimal , Zones 6–9),shaggy shield(Dryopteris cycadina , Zones 5–8),autumn fern(Dryopteris erythrosora , Zones 5–8 ) , tassle fern(Polystichumpolyblepharum , zone 5–8 ) , grueling shield fern(Polystichum aculeatum),East Indian holly fern(Arachnoides simplicior , Zones 7–9 ) , and Siebold ’s wood fern(Dryopteris sieboldii , zone 6–8 ) . Companion plants arestrawberry geranium(Saxifraga stolonifera , Zones 6–9 ) , moss stonecrop(Sedum acre , Zones 4–9 ) , and miniaturewintercreeper(Euonymus fortunei ‘ Kewensis ’ , Zones 4–9 ) .

After a hebdomad with 7 inch of rain in other June 2019 , we were surprised when the stumpery grew crybaby - of - the - woods(Laetiporus sulphureus),a bright orange , edible square bracket fungus .

This fungus was a colorful addition to the stumpery for many twenty-four hour period .

In January 2020 after 6 in of rain in two sidereal day , Galerina marginataappeared on this moss - covered log of the stumpery . Galerina mushrooms contain amatoxins — which make sickness and regurgitation followed finally by liver impairment and , if not treat promptly , demise . Though toxic , these mushroom cater a striking contrast in coloration and grain to the verdant green moss . These mushrooms disappeared overnight , as quickly as they had appeared .

To give a sense of the stumpery in relation to theshade gardenin which it reside , this is the view from our deck . The area include a collection of plants that create a palette of diverse green hues as well as a variety of kind andtextures , which complement the Tennessee fieldstonepathwayleading to the stumpery from the garden route .

This appeal of plants includesgiant leopard plant(Farfugium japonicumvar.giganteum , Zones 7–10 ) , bamboo fern(Coniogramme japonica , Zones 7–9 ) , purple fern(Osmundaregalis , Zones 2–10 ) , variegatedSolomon ’s seal(Polygonatum odoratumvar.pluriflorum ‘ Variegatum’,Zones 3–8 ) , sweet signal flag grass(Acorusgramineus ‘ Ogon’,Zones 5–9),‘Autumn Bride ’ heuchera(Heuchera villosa ‘ Autumn Bride’,Zones 3–8 ) , andoakleaf hydrangea(Hydrangea quercifolia ‘ Snowflake’,Zones 5–9 ) .

The second stumpery , build in May 2020 , has an nonfigurative form . The root scads ( nut ) were afford to us by a neighbour who was cleanse their property . After coiffe the base oodles , I used water press to remove the soil from some of the origin to raise the crevices .

The stumpery was planted with evergreen industrial plant taken from our garden . These include beautiful wood fern(Dryopterispulcherrimal , Zones 6–9 ) , tongue fern(Pyrrosia lingua , Zones 7–10 ) , ‘ Blue Arrows ’ rush(Juncus inflexus ‘ Blue Arrows’,Zones 5–9 ) , white rain lily(Zephyranthescandida , Zones 7–10 ) , moss stonecrop(Sedumacre , Zones 4–9 ) , and ‘ Coral Reef ’ sedum(Sedum tetractinum ‘ Coral Reef’,Zones 5–8 ) . Three Indiana geode are tucked among the root to give added texture . The root appear glistening from a drenching morning rainfall .

This photo feed a view of our ‘ kitchen garden ’ that put up the abstract stumpery . We call it the kitchen garden because it is the view from the bank building of windows at our kitchen cesspit . This garden give us hours of viewing pleasure as we go through the day . The prominent works in this area are Japanese cap iris(Iris tectorum , Zones 4–9 ) , ‘ Archer ’s Gold ’ thyme(Thymuscitriodorus ‘ Archers Gold’,Zones 5–9),wormwood(Artemisia schmidtiana ‘ Silver Mound’,Zones 4–9 ) , spread yew(Cephalotaxusharringtonii ‘ Prostrata’,Zones 6–9 ) , and deodar cedar(Cedrusdeodara , Zones 7–9 ) . The bench design was inspired by a Nipponese timber bench and was handcraft by a local master woodworker . The birdbath was created from natural granite Boulder .

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