Stumped

Some of  you may recall that I had a BIG clean up to do after we lopped off a boxelder leaning precariously over our house. WELL, I am still cleaning that mess up but I have made progress. I had quite a few stumps and I never let a good stump go to waste! The misshapen, gnarly stumps were donated to a friend who owns a wood burning kiln (and wood splitter). The nice looking stumps I saved for my garden. They make great accents for bird baths, tables, pedestals for containers, or even a nice seat!

I love just topping off a stump with a terra cotta plant tray. The tray develops a nice patina over time.

This tray has a bit of a rough texture making it perfect for not only birds, but bees and other pollinators as well. I have often seen a bee edging its way in for a drink.

This one is topped off with a dish of my grandmother's that is shaped like a flower. I have added a few decorative pebbles for those creatures who don't like to dive right in.

This one is low to the ground and topped with a beautiful, red, ceramic tray that really stands out in the garden. I don't have the fortune of a pond or water feature (which is a great way to attract wildlife) in my garden, so I place many bird baths of different types and levels all around. I offer a heated bird bath in the winter as well.

I have had these tin containers for many years and will eventually add some spanish moss and feature plants to top off these "pedestals."

This is not really a stump but a large branch that didn't go through the chipper. It is now a favorite perch for the birds, chipmunks, and squirrels.

This is not really a stump either, but a piece of driftwood (not from that boxelder) that reminded me of the blue herons that grace the river here. I sealed the bottom edge that is buried under the ground and it is now a garden "sculpture."

I love adding natural elements to my garden as art or accents. It seems to add some "age" to my very new garden. And I like that the boxelder tree, now a large shrub, has not gone to waste but still lives in my garden and is still visited by the birds and bees.