Stumpery

path through the stumps

That was 5 years ago and today it is stunning. The architecture of the wood stops you in your tracks and the plantings have softened it and created a magnificent garden. That is even before you realize the variety of planting material that exists there. This garden sits on a hillside above a pond so the borrowed view makes the site seem much larger. It blends beautifully into the larger garden.

It is based on a simple principle of what happens when a tree falls in the forest. (never mind if anyone heard it or not). You may have seen a downed tree after many years and the plant material that grows on it. Logs like this are referred to as nurse logs. They nurse along the young plants that are adapted to growing on rotting wood. These stumps are arranged to do that over a long time frame.

Path

Japanese maple and Astilbiodes

close-up

ferns and combination plantings

Root ball

#design #Stumpery #publicgarden #HardyFernFoundation #OldGoatFarm #RhododendronBotanicalGarden #NorthwestHorticulturalSociety #texture