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Create a Container Garden on a Tree Stump

Lowe's Editorial Team

By Lowe's Editorial Team
Updated July 24, 2020

Turn an eyesore into a mini garden. A tree stump provides the perfect pedestal for a container garden.

A mixture of blooming and foliage plants on a tree stump base near a white gazebo in a yard.

A Creative Way to Disguise a Tree Stump

Old tree stumps may take a decade or more to rot away. In the meantime, they can be an eyesore. You can pay to have the stump ground to bits, or create an attractive focal point. Here’s an easy way to do it.

Form the Basket

Galvanized steel fencing formed into a large basket shape on top of a tree stump.

Use an old wire basket or form one from galvanized steel field fencing cut to size. Cut and fold a portion of the wire fencing inward to serve as the base, then attach it to the stump with wire tacks. To extend the life of the tree stump and discourage insects, apply a preservative, such as polyurethane, to the stump before starting the project.

Pack With Moss

A woman in yellow gardening gloves adding peat moss to the basket frame on top of a tree stump.

Soften a bale of sphagnum moss by soaking it in water for about half a minute. Fill the perimeter of the basket by compressing the moss in and around the wire frame.

Add Soil

A woman using a shovel to add soil to the basket frame on a tree stump.

Fill the basket with a soilless potting mix containing fertilizer. For a 4-foot-diameter stump like this one, you'll need about three 2.5-cubic-foot bags.

Moisten the Planter

A woman in a blue turtleneck moistening the soil in a planter with a garden hose on a stump.

Tamp the soil gently to remove air pockets, and then moisten to settle the soil. Add more soil mix to the level of the basket rim.

Plant the Basket

A woman in yellow gardening gloves adding a variety of plants to the container on a tree stump.

Add your choice of plants. This planter includes a tall specimen, such as the burgundy New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax) for the centerpiece or thriller. Surround it with spreading fillers, such as geranium and licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare) and trailing spillers, such as Nemesia and sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima). To fill the sides, carefully dig holes through the moss liner, and push plant roots through the gaps until making contact with the soil mix. Add extra moss to hide any wire that shows after planting.