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
On the last day of April last spring, a tornado tore through our back garden, felling all of our old-growth maritime forest. To the consternation of our neighbors, we left standing a single white oak that had snapped off 40 feet up but still had branches. We were desperate for shade since we had planted a shade garden over 20 years. The oak had also been a habitat for squirrels and a raccoon. Months later, it still is. It has also become a favorite lookout for a local hawk. It is the oldest and, in our eyes, most valuable tree in our garden. We also left a stump of another white oak, covered it with soil and planted it with ferns. We call it Fern Hill. And it‘s thriving. I filled a hollow pine stump with dirt and use it like a flower pot for annuals. Other stumps are pot pedestals now and their bases incubators for seedling ferns. So, thank you for this confirmation that I am not nuts for have these stumps and tree removed or ground. They have become an important piece of our loving our landscape and rejuvenating forest ecology again.
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
I have natural stumperies in my woods, but intentional ones in the garden is also a wonderful idea. Thank you!
Jan- I learn something new with each one of your substacks! Thanks for sharing your brilliance!
Wonderful post, Jan. You may enjoy https://thegardenbower.com/ if you’re not already aware.
On the last day of April last spring, a tornado tore through our back garden, felling all of our old-growth maritime forest. To the consternation of our neighbors, we left standing a single white oak that had snapped off 40 feet up but still had branches. We were desperate for shade since we had planted a shade garden over 20 years. The oak had also been a habitat for squirrels and a raccoon. Months later, it still is. It has also become a favorite lookout for a local hawk. It is the oldest and, in our eyes, most valuable tree in our garden. We also left a stump of another white oak, covered it with soil and planted it with ferns. We call it Fern Hill. And it‘s thriving. I filled a hollow pine stump with dirt and use it like a flower pot for annuals. Other stumps are pot pedestals now and their bases incubators for seedling ferns. So, thank you for this confirmation that I am not nuts for have these stumps and tree removed or ground. They have become an important piece of our loving our landscape and rejuvenating forest ecology again.