I can (and probably will) post this in more wider forums but thought I'd start here first given the climate. I've got a couple of Ashe Juniper stumps in dappled shade. The thought crossed my mind...could I cut a depression into the stumps and plant something? Anyone ever done anything like this successfully - or seen it done? Might be easier (and plant selection might be wider) if it was full sun I know...

My thought would be it would be difficult to keep a planting in a tree stump hydrated. Although it would be pretty...

Without seeing the stumps, I'm imagining them being a couple of feet high. ( If they are near ground level, stop reading). Before you cut a depression in the stump, could you just plant a large pot and anchor it, maybe with a length of rebar into the juniper?

I ask because the junipers produce an oil that inhibits other plants from closing in on its territory. I would think you would achieve the same effect, without all the effort it would take to hollow out the stumps.

I've planted in stumps before, but they were all pine and oak. If it's juniper or Eucalyptus, I'd just anchor a pot in it like the poster above mentioned. I've grown ferns in some, and Sempervivums would look wonderful once they had a good start. It's a good way to make use of a stump if you don't want the time or expense of getting them removed.

I had a neighbor that used to plant in stumps and would drag up old tree trunks and plant in the cavities. The stumps were left when they cleared the plot to build a home. I think the logs were found in the pasture. It actually made for a happy, careless but attractive, planting. Very informal. Primarily that was all done with oak and an occasional elm. If you hollowed out the juniper and made a drain hole, it seems to me you could line that hole with plastic and make it work. Wouldn't the plastic protect the potting soil from leaching?

A side note here. If you or someone else is good with a chain saw, cut the trunks into sections for plant stands. That's if you are going to be removing any. I was given a section and I've had it outside for years now. I wish I had a few more.

Unfortunately, I have a near endless supply of Ashe Junipers on the property. And yes, the stumps (which I inherited) are pretty low to the ground. I was just trying to think of a way to turn these little spaces into something pretty - other than seeing just these stumps. But I was worried about the Juniper's general repellent properties, as @Bubbles mentioned.

Would any of them be positioned well to act as pedestals for garden art sculptures?

plantmanager said:Would any of them be positioned well to act as pedestals for garden art sculptures?

Its possible, I suppose...but wouldn't really fit stylistically. There are others with a much better eye for that and, except for plants , my wife and I tend to be more on the minimalist side

I understand. I don't get into the sculpture thing either. I do love wind spinners, and some of them could be mounted on a stump to raise them up a bit.

Plants are probably your best bet. You could drill more holes in an appropriate pot, and then mount it on rebar on top of the stump. Just have a plant that drapes and hangs and it would look great. There are quite a few hardy ferns that could be used in your area. They might brown up in winter, but then could be trimmed, and grow back quickly in the Spring.

plantmanager said:I understand. I don't get into the sculpture thing either. I do love wind spinners, and some of them could be mounted on a stump to raise them up a bit.

Plants are probably your best bet. You could drill more holes in an appropriate pot, and then mount it on rebar on top of the stump. Just have a plant that drapes and hangs and it would look great. There are quite a few hardy ferns that could be used in your area. They might brown up in winter, but then could be trimmed, and grow back quickly in the Spring.

Now that's an idea...I've been looking separately ways to incorporate some more native ferns.

Natives would be wonderful!