I'd consider some heuchera, 'Sweet Tea', with some carex, and a mauve foxglove!
I wish I had some shade, I would grow those myself!

I'm not sure what you mean by large for depth or width, but plants that commonly plant themselves in that type site here (deteriorating conifer stumps) are ferns, maple, native huckleberry to name a few...Any of those though could give you issues trying to wintersow in February or later :(

I would think you could plant just about any of your woodland type plants that would thrive in a wooden planter, assuming you have a way to provide water if needed to something above ground. Trillium, saruma (long germination both), Solomon's seal, dicentra, violets, could even be a way to rein in one of the perennial gingers that tend to be spreaders.

The stump/slice planter might be a good candidate for browsing the Gardens North seed sale that will take place in a few weeks, some of those offerings will include those things that have been moist packed, speeding up the germination process over seeds that have been allowed to dry - developing deeper dormancy in the drying.

I'm imagining something with delicate, but showy flowers. Maybe a mixture of heuchera and forget-me-not. Or something tall mixed with something flowing, ie foxglove with vinca. It would be fun to do annuals each year and take pictures to catalog each plant or combination. I'm sure it will be beautiful.

Martha

Hi Bakemon: I have a similar stump in very obvious place and no-one to move it. So I planted it with Penny Blacks and Silene (armeria I think) and they bloom in succession and then re-seed themselves each year. Have had it going for about 4 years now in full sun. I do have a pic. but will have to search for it and post it.

Our neighbors old rotting tree fell into our yard and into our pond 2 years ago. It was an awful mess - the stump was rotting and spongy, and the tree was covered in poison ivy. And the neighbor had the attitude that it fell onto our property so it became our problem. The trunk was so spongy that my hubby ruined a couple chain saw blades trying to cut it out. So last year I finally decided to "embrace" the stump. I started throwing yard waste inside the V formed by the 2 trunks. I haven't planted anything in it yet. But I'm envisioning some cascading plants over the side and some taller plants growing in the middle. It needs a good raking right now to remove all the brown pine needles that have fallen.

The lattice you see in one of the photos is the side of our wood shed. The standing trees you see are the property line. All the "landscape debris" you see behind the stump is our neighbors "trash" - ever since the tree fell he has decided to throw his landscape trash around the stump area. I'm trying to find "tall" shade loving plants to create a visual barrier so I don't have to look at his debris.

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great suggestions al.l boy that is one big stump! looks like a project to me.

Bakemom it should look great but dont get too attached to it. Depending on the type of wood and how wet and fertile the land is wood can disappear at a surprising rate. I tried to make raised gardens out of maple logs once and they vanished in about two years . I guess they tasted like syrup to the bugs

They apparently make great hugelkultur beds. I've never done it but I'm impressed by those I've seen online.
GW probably won't let me post the link but if you google "Building a hugelkultur raised bed" you'll find it.

Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: Building a hugelkultur raised bed

I'd go for something tall for the middle that blooms late spring through early summer--a foxglove like snow thimble which would light up the shade--combined with something that blooms later like maybe chelone alba or even a toad lily. Then I'd either put in an edging of one of the hahakone(Japanese forest grass) or a golden bowl carex or go annuals with stocks and impateins.

I wouldn't use anything that creates a too solid a hanging drape if the stump has a nice bark or shape. You might thing soapwort around the outer edge if you want to pretty much obscure the stump.

You just need to feed more often and use a misture retentive soil treating the stump as if it is a container

KimKa

I planted a hosta in one of mine.