If a tree is felled in the garden, the swamp is often left over because it is too expensive to remove. This opens up many creative design options with and around the tree stump.
Table of Contents
Living garden furniture
If the stump is not removed with the roots , you should get ideas beforehand on how you want to shape it. For example, you can vary how much remains. One possibility is to conjure up a piece of furniture from it. If you leave the stump longer, it can be made into a chair with a backrest. All you need to do is make two cuts with a chainsaw.
Alternatively, the stump can also be used as a table. To do this, it is also sawn off at a comfortable height and you only have to mount a plate on it to enlarge the area. Both variants are usually not made for eternity, because depending on the type of wood, the stump begins to decompose after a few years.
play equipment for children
Above all, you do not necessarily have to decorate thicker tree stumps, you can also turn them into play equipment for children. A tree house can be mounted on the stump, for example, or you already have the basis for a sliding scaffold. However, it should always be remembered that this play equipment is also exposed to the weather and that it must be checked for safety.
Compared to many plastic playground equipment, a recycled tree stump is not only more sustainable, but also healthier for children. Depending on the age, it can be used not only as a simple table for children, but also as a game. You can simply burn lines into the stump for tic tac toe and use rocks to create game pieces. Older children can play a more tactical game like Halatafl, which uses the tree stump as a game board.
Tree stump as a pillar
What is more obvious when a stump of a tree is used as a pillar. Older trees in particular have a large surface and both large figures and large pots can be placed on them. If you leave the stump with an appropriate height and drape pots with hanging plants on it, the rest of the tree becomes an eye-catcher in the garden.
The following hanging plants are suitable for planting:
- Geranien
- Petunien
- fuchsian
- hanging carnations
- magic bell
With good care, the plants can reach a length of well over a meter and cover the stump to a large extent. It is ideal if you combine different plants in a large bowl and hang the branches around the tree stump.
No matter what you put on the stump, always make sure statues or pots are firmly fixed on it. Otherwise, both larger birds and pets such as cats can throw the decorations on the stump, which can sometimes be dangerous for people or other animals.
Living plant bowl
Instead of putting something on the stump, you can also decorate it by planting directly on it. To do this, however, you must first work out a plant bowl. However, this requires some tools and manual skills. You need a crowbar, if available also in different sizes and a hammer. You should also have a drill handy.
To carve out a shell, do the following:
- Mark the outer edge of at least 10 cm
- Mark the midpoint as the lowest point
- Starting from the center and working outwards, use the chisel to remove layer by layer
- Center should be preserved as the lowest point
- at the end drill holes distributed in the shell
You should drill several holes so that too much water can seep deeper into the trunk. You can also make a side drain so that excess water can run off. This will prevent waterlogging that damages plants.
nesting place for insects
You can not only decorate the tree stump for the eye, but also make it a sustainable work of art for nature. You can convert old hardwood tree stumps into an insect hotel. It is sufficient if you drill holes at the side that are at least 10 cm deep.
So that the insects are not immediately found food for birds, you should put a grid around them. This is again ideal as a climbing aid for plants that can serve as food for insects.
Instead of turning it into an insect hotel, you can also offer the birds a watering hole. To do this, you can in turn make a deepening in the stump and place a drinking bowl in it.
carving figures
If you are creative and also have a talent for sculpting, you can also carve figures out of the tree stump. Alternatively, there are also many artists who beautify a stump with a chainsaw and chisel. Hardwoods are particularly well suited for this, even if they are more difficult to work with.
Element in nature garden
If the tree stump is no longer in the ground, there are also many ideas for integrating it into a bed outdoors and decorating areas with it. To do this, you must decide whether the stump is the center or just one element of many. Wood is particularly attractive in the garden when it looks like driftwood. However, since it takes several years for the bleached look to appear, you’ll need to help to beautify the trunk.
There is a simple way to create the driftwood look yourself:
- cut off fine roots
- remove bark
- Clear the swamp of dirt and dirt
- Mix up the baking soda solution
- Put the stump in a tub
- Pour the solution over the stump
- Leave the stump in the solution for several hours
- Then dry the stump
- Sand off rough and edgy areas
Wear safety goggles and gloves when working with the baking soda solution. Repeat the process until the stump has reached the desired degree of bleaching. You should always renew the solution.
When the tree stump is ready, integrate it with other driftwood in a bed. It can be an eye-catcher in a perennial bed as well as in the front yard, where the planting is usually lower. The stump does not need any further decoration if it has been treated with baking soda.
Tree stump as interior decoration
If you don’t want to decorate the tree stump in the garden, where it will sooner or later rot, you can also use it to beautify interiors. However, smaller trunks are more suitable for interior design. Some ideas for the garden can also be realized indoors. For example, the stump can act as a pillar for flower pots.
If the stump is used as interior decoration, it should always be treated. Again, a soda bath is a good idea, or you can treat it with insect repellent. This will prevent wood pests, such as the woodworm, better known as “woodworm”, from attacking the stump.
The stump also leaves a lot of room for creativity as an interior design. It can be used as a holder for vases, for example. To do this, you use test tubes and only drill holes the size of the test tubes in the stump. Many also use old wood to plant or decorate tropical plants, for example. In this case, however, you must refrain from treating the sump with wood preservatives. In this case, rotting is desired and it also serves as a food source for the plants. Softwood such as spruce or fir are particularly suitable for this.
frequently asked Questions
This depends on the type of wood. Softwood such as spruce begins to show clear signs of rot after around five years. Hardwoods last much longer and often show little signs of wear after ten years.
Yes, it is usually difficult to remove even smaller trees including their roots from the ground. Therefore, heavy equipment such as excavators is usually used.
