When we bought our lake place there was this huge tree trunk in the garden right next to the deck.
My friend saw it and suggested I remove some of the center and use it as a planter. I loved her idea! So, here’s what we did to turn this massive stump into a tree trunk succulents planter.
It’s hard to get an accurate appreciation of the size of this big old tree trunk from a photo. It’s BIG! This tree was probably over 100 years old when it was cut down.
By the looks of it, that happened many years prior to when we took over the property. That time of the stump just sitting there turned out to be a good thing, because that meant the wood was getting kind of punky.
Punky, you know, soft-ish.
My husband took his axe to the center of it and axed? hatcheted? chopped? away at it.
Just enough to remove about a foot deep so I could put some potting soil in it.
The stump was now a planter.
One thing to keep in mind…
When my husband axed at the top, he was careful to leave a thick edge so that the trunk shape stayed in tack.
The moss, lichen and ferns growing on the outside of the trunk are just from nature doing it’s thing.
Aren’t all the different shades of green crazy?
I found local gal that created these cement mushrooms. She attached natural wood sticks for the stems and they look incredibly real.
I did used succulent potting soil, so there would be good drainage, succulents do not do well with wet feet.
I guess that worked, because the succulents inside the trunk are super healthy, and yet the moss, which needs moisture and is growing on the outside of the trunk is super happy too.
The south side of the stump doesn’t grow that moss and lichen on it like the north side has.
I mixed in some field stones and a cement pair of birds. The oak trees are starting to lose their leaves now and added their own decoration.
So what do you think? Do you have an old tree stump in your yard that could become a fun tree trunk succulent planter? I wonder if even a large chunk of a log could work too?
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Mom says
That is a clever idea! And so pretty!
Liz says
Thank you! Since then, there was a frost so I dug them out of the trunk and they are in several planters in the living room. We’ll see how long they last inside. They were so healthy outside.
Lynnie says
Of course you did that..🤩👩🌾
Liz says
😘