How to build a stumpery - Part 2 - I've got more wood

Now that the groundwork has been done, it's time to plant out your stumpery and add all the personal touches.

And so as I mooched through garden centres getting excited at fern varieties I was suddenly hit by an epiphany. I've become a middle aged irrelevant. I get my kicks shuffling around garden centres drooling over plants and garden plans. It's a far cry from those halcyon days in my late teens and early twenties when I was in my prime but didn't even realise it....

Anyway, I digress.  I spent a few quid on a nice variety of ferns and then moved on to planting them out. I wanted to create the feeling of depth and so some were planted in tall pots or stood up on bricks. 

Of course you can simply build up the soil rather than using pots but I prefer pots as you can move them about. I sheathed the pots in bark which I peeled off from some logs from my woodpile. This hides those bland looking pots from sight giving a more natural feel. I also interspersed my  stumpery with logs to add some interest.

I spent some time plugging out my oak log with ferns and for a bit of diversity, I added a couple of winter flowering heathers on the top. The small cavity at the front provides a tiny, shaded  pool.

 

I then procured from my back garden, some naturally growing (and unwanted) moss. I don't want it in my lawn but in the right place it's just what I want. I specifically targeted the shadier areas, under the stump, around the bases of the wooden mushrooms and fern pots.

I took a walk to my local woodland and grabbed a bag or two of leaf litter. This is great stuff. It's already breaking down and is crawling with invertebrates - just what I need to kick-start my stumpery ecosystem. I spread it liberally in the more brighter areas where the moss is not likely to take.

Finally I top-dressed the fern pots with moss and leaf litter to try and hide anything man-made and to make it look as natural as possible.

So after a few weeks bedding in, this is the finished article. It's already home to a few baby frogs and a lots of crawling insects. In time I know some things will die and some with thrive. I am hoping I have enough of a balance that I won't be left with any gaping holes. Some of the moss has already dies but in some other areas, new moss is growing so overall I'm happy with the results. 

The great thing is, it's full of life. Harriet spends ages peering into the nooks and crannies - completely transfixed. I may add some subtle solar lighting later but not sure just yet. At the moment I'm just happy with what is now a full on nature garden providing a wide diversity for our local wildlife