This gnarled/gnarly (!) tree stump was posed dramatically in the middle of a massive rock slide area that we crossed on a recent hike around Upper Kananaskis Lake. If you find yourself with a few hours to kill in Kananaskis Country, this is the hike to do – it’s 16 kilometres of incredible scenery and diverse landscapes that are not to be missed. As a bonus, the elevation gains are minimal so if your knees are a muddled mess like mine, you can still nicely manage. And there are TWO waterfalls! Truly difficult to top.
Aaaaaaand then the stump got me thinking about gardening (well, pretty much everything does so that’s not a huge stretch)…and specifically, wildlife and naturescape gardens and stumperies. I haven’t seen too many designed/planted stumperies in the city, but there is a fantastic one at the Ellis Bird Farm in Lacombe, Alberta that wowed me when I saw it a few years ago. What are your thoughts on converting leftover (dead) tree parts to garden elements? Have you ever done it? If so, how did you go about creating your design?
Flowery Prose 
As we would say in Maine, that is some stump.
It is, indeed! 🙂
That’s a fotogenic picture and believe it’s a very beautiful walk
Yes, it is an incredible hike, so beautiful!
I have only seen stumperies in books and on TV. I think they look awesome! We had a couple of large fir trees removed from our garden and the stumps are still there, fairly close to the ground and completely un-rotted after ten years. We haven’t been able to grow anything round them or near them. They aren’t ideal stumpery material! I think I would have to import a stump or logs into the garden and make an artistic heap in a corner somewhere and then try and grow ferns on them.
Yes, that would be so fun to do!
I love this photo, it looks like it going to take a walk. An ent!
YES! Your comment made me smile! Definitely an ent!
I would be happy to work with stumps in my garden. But not too many because my garden is small. I enjoyed a TV documentary on Prince Charles’ garden at Highgrove which includes a stumpery. And I have just enjoyed reading this post on Stumperies. https://parksandgardensuk.wordpress.com/2015/05/02/stumperies/
I love the link you’ve shared – so fascinating! Thanks so much!