The Resurgence of Stumperies
Part of it is Decaying, Part Nascent...
Nothing that lives is, or can be, perfect; part of it is decaying, part nascent. The foxglove blossom—a third part bud, a third part past, a third part in full bloom, is a type of the life of the world.
—John Ruskin
During the cooler months of the year, we celebrate the beauty in the decaying blossom. This was a part of the philosophy of John Ruskin, an English reformer and philosopher, born in the early nineteenth century. He was a champion of seeing beauty in all things, and he placed nature as the true standard.
In this eloquent quote, Ruskin counsels us to see beauty in all aspects of nature’s life cycle and to honor it. Nature is ever-changing. Nothing is static. As Ruskin sagely notes, we should celebrate the “third part past”- the quiet aftermath of spring’s effervescence, summer’s bounty and fall’s colorful mosaic - that is, the fallen leaves, the decayed stump, and the lichen-covered stone.
During the cool weather the garden may seem asleep but it is a perfect time to appreciate these items that we often overlook. This includes the hollow trunks and other signs of decay in our natural environs. Rotting branches and stumps are crucial environments for insects, lichen, mosses, fungi, small animals and nesting birds.
The biodiversity is tremendous and is testament to the ‘third part past’ that Ruskin
admired.
So I suggest you create a stumpery!
A stumpery is an intentional acompilation of old stumps, tree roots, and tree trunks in a shady or half shady spot. Plant ferns and more in and around the tree stumps. Species such as Christmas fern and Hart’s-Tongue (Asplenium scolopendrium) work particularly well. You can also add small, late winter and early spring bulbs such as snowdrops, daffodils, and scilla to give it some color. You can grow your own mushrooms. Drill some holes that are about a quarter-inch deep and roughly 4 inches apart in a log. Insert mushroom spawn plugs, seal with wax and keep the stump moist. In a few months, you will enjoy a source of fresh mushrooms.
The first known stumpery was created in 1856 by Edward William Cooke at Biddulph Grange, the estate of James Batemen. Cooke turned some of the large wood and tree debris piles that were there into ten-foot tall walls on either side of a path, and planted them out in ferns. This coincided with the Victorian craze for ferns so it was an immediate hit.
Today, stumperies are once again being created. In 1980, Prince Charles created a private stumpery at Highgrove House, using sweet chestnut roots. In 1996, his stumpery was redesigned and built by Isabel and Julian Bannerman. The 180 sweet chestnut stumps, already old and well weathered, were accompanied by driftwood brought down from a Scottish reservoir.
When Prince Philip first saw his son's new stumpery, he remarked: "When are you going to set fire to this lot?"[1]
It is all in the eye of the beholder - take that, John Ruskin!
For more fascinating info on stumperies go here: https://thegardenstrust.blog/2015/05/02/stumperies/
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So, thank you for this confirmation that I am not nuts for (geez, typos...) NOT HAVING these stumps and tree removed or ground. They have become an important piece of our loving our landscape and rejuvenating forest ecology again.
I love this Jan! I’m familiar with contractors having to manage stump grinding/clearing with burn bans in effect from TX to NJ. It’s a dilemma (and I totally support burn bans!) trying to find someone to take that chipper shredder mulch – one of many hard realities in development. It would be so much more sustainable to leave that demolition clearing on site. And minimize or avoid clearing in the first place.
Have you ever done a hügelkultur? I’ve never had the opportunity but dig the concept and have discussed it with contractors – similar to a stumpery at scale – not unlike the ten-foot-tall walls at Biddulph Grange that you reference here.
I work in a highly regulated environment and clearing is generally subject to site capacity and environmental resource calculations = makes me feel better about that part of my practice in development. However, those restrictions are far from existence in many places, sadly. It’s a mission trying to export more sustainable development measures to locales that do not require them.
Thank you so much for enriching my life Jan, and happy holidays.
PS I have a stumpery in my back yard, under a majestic oak – haha, mine grew its own fungi eventually – and I love the idea of mushroom spawn plugs. :D