How can I treat tree stump to use as outdoor decor
kiran k
9 years ago
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Garden design...... I'm stumped. Can you help?
Comments (21)Hmmm, OK. I understand your points Laag. I'll go into this a little further then. We, as a family, spend most of our time either in the sun room at the rear of the house or on the wooden deck that is just off the sun room. Indicated on the plan by a rectangle with diagonal lines on it. That is the 'HUB' of the garden for us. The deck gets sun from 10am to about 4pm through the day. North of the deck between the cherry blossom and swing set, gets full sun all day long. To the North of the deck in the area of the cherry blossom is our family lawn area. We play there, enjoy the sun there (when it does peek out throught the clouds) and generally congregate there. So really from the north side of the house up to the north fence (including the kids play area) is where we spend most of our time when we are outside. The Swing set is clearly visible from the house and our kids spend a lot of time in there. When we have friends over, of course all the kids flock to the play house. Grown ups always nearby on the deck. So with that respects, the location for the playhouse was chosen in a prominent area, not hidden as you interpreted. The original plan for the house was that we would park the cars to the rear of the house, in front of the car garage on the gravel area, but it was not ergonomic and simply didn't work out. That area in front of the garage doors is always kept clear, almost as an open courtyard. Yes, the easy up paddle pool is always put up there, as is the kids blow-up bouncy castle/slide when the weather is fine. The 3ft wide concrete pavement that surrounds the house was on the insistence of my wife. Kids needing a cycle path to round the house. Note - the driveway into the property and at the back 'courtyard' area, is 3/4inch pea gravel. Great for drainage, crap for cycling on. Before I built the retaining wall and gravel area, the whole lot was simply a lawn. here are some old photo's... My wife and I hated it that way. It felt like we were living in the middle of a soccer pitch. Of course, for practical reasons we had to put a hard surface around to the garage doors which was part of the original design plan anyway. The retaining wall was an idea that we both liked having seen it while on vacation, so that had to be incorporated. And we wanted the closed in 'courtyard' feeling from tall trees with a passageway to the upper lawn almost as a passage to a "secret garden", drawing you from the deck, across the yard and in through the entrance, through the "small forest" and up to the..... And this is where the story ends so far... The tall birch trees are history, I'll change them for 10-15ft variety with lots of shrubs. That should give visual interest and varied structure to the border. BUT my concept works. I had a bbq a couple of weeks ago and just about everyone admired the entrance to the upper lawn and equally everyone suggested I needed more than just a lawn up there to REWARD whoever follows the path. EXACTLY what I wanted to hear!! So the story will continue, I just need some help. Quote - "These people either have a very different set of functions or are extremely incapable of designing. I have no idea which." You could be right Laag. Maybe I am incapable of designing.... i wouldnt be here looking for advice if I was able to whip up the right design off the bat!...See MoreCan I Dig Out A Tree Stump?
Comments (25)1. Removing Tree Stumps with Chemical Tree Stump Remover There are several chemical products available at home garden centers that will assist and hasten the rotting of a dead tree stump. Most products make use of potassium nitrate to expedite the decomposition process. Chemical fertilizers high in nitrogen will produce bacterial growth that will facilitate the gradual decay, which makes the stump easier to remove. In each case, holes are drilled into the stump with a large diameter drill bit. The holes are filled with the chemical mixed with water and left to do its work over time (usually weeks or months). After the chemical has taken effect and the stump has become soft and mulchy, use an axe and a pickaxe to break up and remove the stump. 2. Removing Tree Stumps Mechanically with a Tree Stump Grinder A mechanical tool known as a tree stump grinder can be used to remove larger tree stumps. It consists of a toothed circular cutting blade that grinds or chops away the stump by breaking it into small chips. Before using a tree stump grinder remove any rocks and debris from around the stump. Then use a chain saw to remove the bulk of the stump by cutting it as close to the ground as possible. The grinder is worked from side to side, removing 3 inch sections of the stump with each pass. 3. Removing the Tree Stump Manually If the tree stump is not too big and you intend to dig it out manually, do not attempt to remove the entire stump and all of its roots intact. This is time consuming and unnecessary. Begin by digging a trench around the perimeter of the stump and expose as many roots as possible. If you can do so without damaging the cutting blade, cut through the major roots with an axe or a circular saw. Use a pickaxe to loosen the soil around the stump. Work your way around the stump and pry it loose from all sides until it comes free. 4. Removing the Tree Stump Naturally There is another alternative method for tree stump removal  doing nothing at all. Once a tree is cut down the stump will begin to decompose. It can simply be left in the ground to rot. This is a viable option if the stump is not too large in diameter. Covering the stump with fertilizer, soil or mulch will help to generate the fungus and bacteria that causes decay. In time the stump will reach the point where it can easily be extracted from the ground with minimal effort....See MoreDecorating the stump (Looking for suggestion)
Comments (31)Ego, That looks great I cant believe how many plants you have been able to plant in that space. I love how the E. fortunei has happily taken over your stump. Your Japanese Maple and Montgomery Spruce with clematis in the far background is magnificent. I was glad to hear your gooseneck is in a pot I have been trying for eight years to eradicate mine. I stopped at a nursery while travelling this weekend and saw that there is now a pink variety, which considering it's aggressiveness in New England I was shocked to see. I redesigned my back garden this year with the sole focus on the leaf. So far what I have taken away from my little experiment is how much is added to the garden when light is captured in either a large or shiny leaf, it creates a bright spot where immediately the eye is drawn. I am also having fun with a large bed of sedum 'Atumn Joy' that hold water in the cups of it's leaves attracting humming and other small birds. I am also enjoying Melianthus major 'Purple Haze' for it's early morning display of dew on it's leaves. I have learned to date that in the future I will choose more insect resisted large leaved plants as there is nothing uglier than large shredded leaves, I have two varieties of rhubarb one curly leaved the other very large leaved and the large leaved has struggled with mites disfiguring the leaves while the curly leaf is pristine...go figure....See MoreHow often do you treat your trees (preemptively) during summer?
Comments (29)Mike - Ya spraying them inside is kind of a pain, but I would like to think it's more effective for all the trouble I go through lol. I bring them straight into the bathroom and put them in the shower so clean up isn't so bad. They get sprayed super frequently for the first couple of weeks so anything that survives the initial hose down can't spread to my other plants. Though if your having such success with just spraying them outside, then I think I will incorporate a couple of outdoor sprays into my routine as well. Preventive measures are definitely important :)...See Morerhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agokiran k
9 years agokiran k
8 years agoianna
8 years agoronalawn82
8 years agokimmq
8 years agorhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
8 years agoianna
8 years ago
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