The Stumpery

A tricky spot, slipperly ground and mixed site conditions brought interesting challenges to this transitional space.

This garden is what I call a transitional space. Its accesses the Secret Garden from both the Country Garden and Wetland Garden. Its literally on the cross roads and its requirements are many.

Every garden should have a corner of kitch in my opinion.

I have great hopes for this little space. Passages or links in your garden are as important as the main events and should never be ignored. They are your opportunity to add your brand of charm, vivacious wit and personal story. Every garden should have a corner of kitch in my opinion. Entice the visitor to be drawn in and take a closer look.

Copy the DOC

Getting down this slope was dangerous and unpleasant. Ive been on my bum down here a few times! We have only just recently put the stairs in and managed to mulch before the heat of summer stopped any further planting. We copied the stair design from one we saw in our local DOC park. If you are looking for an affordable stair design, I highly recommend taking a leaf from their book. There contractors (or whoever builds their stairs) have some very good designs to copy. Easy and quick to build (considering they have to transport all that timber down difficult tracks), and cost effective too. Just make sure you use treated H3 timber designed to survive permanent contact with wet soil.

The new stairs take you past a water fountain and lead you down under overhanging branches and access the Secret Garden below. The stairs are flanked by lush plantings, overhanging trees and a Stumpery under the wallowing willow. Its a part sun to deep shady spot. In the far back is a plant graveyard. Green things do not grow well in the deep shade under the wallowing willow's reach. I have Calla lilies planted here at the moment. They do fine in the cooler wetter months but become leggy and flop in the dry heat of summer. Needing a better alternative, clivia would do nicely here.

The Elephant in the Room

They must think I am mad using perfectly good dry firewood and letting it rot in the garden.

You may have come across the term 'Stumpery'. Indeed it has become quite trendy in gardening shows and magazines of late. They are essentially fallen or overturned trees, logs or bark arranged and planted up with ferns, moss and lichen.

The stumps were given to me by a kind neighbor. They must think I am mad using perfectly good dry firewood and letting it rot in the garden. But these stumps are the perfect environment for creepy crawly's. If I want my garden to become a self regulating ecosystem and have no need for chemical pest control, stumps of rotting wood are perfect habitats for a range of wildlife. I am sure you have heard about the bug hotel trend, well this is natures 5 Michelin Star version. They provide everything an insect needs to live. Food shelter and places to breed. Stumperys are a good option if you have unwanted trunks, logs or overturned trees. Instead of paying money to have them removed, use them to create an attractive feature that will improve your gardens biodiversity and as a result you will have fewer pest problems.

Continuity, Focus and Interest

By repeating plant types and colours of blue and white, the result I hope will be a successful merging of two distinctive looks.

There is a lot still to plant here. I have been getting cuttings rooting and collecting other plants to naturalize in this space. I am basing my plant choices on theme continuity and introducing a more tropical look of the secret garden. By repeating plant types and colours of the country garden as well as introducing deeper pinks and reds, the result I hope will be a successful merging of two distinctive looks.

Its a tall order, meshing two looks but still giving the space its own identity. In early spring red fuchsias and blue iris pop up around the water fountain. Hebes, heuchera, bromeliads and impatients give steady colour and interest through out the seasons. A delicious monster (Monstera deliciosa) wraps itself up a tree and a young tree fern splays its leaves giving a sense of drama, an invitation to whats beyond.

Same but different

Still much to be done in this area. The hard landscaping is in and some plantings in place, more compost is needed and beds need to be made.

This garden needs fluffing out and time to mature. I will need to source ferns, hostas and other shade lovers to complete this garden. Not to mention the stairs still need their top coat of crushed shell. Once complete it will be more than just a passage to the next garden, but have its own particular unique style.

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