How to make a stump garden
Make a stump garden with your children using old tree stumps and logs and create a wonderful habitat for insects and amphibians. Follow the steps below or download the guide at the bottom of this page to print and follow at home.
What you will need:
- A spade, shovel and/or garden fork
- Tree stumps, large roots or logs
- Mulch or woodchip
- Shade loving plants (you can add these later)
How to make your stump garden:
- Clear the area of weeds and tun the soil over with a garden fork
- Dig holes at least 3 feet deep to part bury the logs or use existing tree stumps. You can link them together or have spaces in between
- Add mulch or woodchip around the base of the stumps
- Add shade loving plants such as ferns, primroses and bluebells in the spaces between the stumps
Aftercare
Allow moss and lichen to grow on the wood. Occasional weeding of the area can prevent it from becoming too overgrown. Be sure to monitor the wildlife that moves in. You can learn all about the animals using your stump garden online ID guides. Remember some species such as the Great Crested Newt are endangered and protected by law so you must not handle them. Just enjoy watching them in their new habitat.
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