How to Make a Tree Stump Planter (Lots of Creative Ideas)

Tree stumps can be so unsightly, especially if they are in the middle of your flower garden. But, tree stumps don’t have to stick out like a sore thumb. Learn how you can turn an eyesore into a unique planter and add character to your garden or any outdoor space where you’re left with a tree stump.

Over the years we’ve lived in our fixer upper, we’ve had many trees cut down and then we’re left with the resulting tree stumps. Yes, we could have them ground out, but after you pay the bill to have trees cut down, it kind of leaves you tapped out. Read on and learn how to make a tree stump planter and other creative uses for that ugly, old tree stump in your gardens.

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How to Make a DIY Tree Stump Planter

Making Preparations

The first step is to use a marker and draw an outline in the center of the stump of the shape and size you want your hole to be. We skipped this step and there may have been a breakdown in communication regarding this step. I wanted it as close to round as could be and the hubs went for an easier square shape. Once flowers are planted and they fill in, it doesn’t matter what the shape of the hole is because it won’t be visible.

Don’t forget to wear safety glasses. There will be flying sawdust, wood shavings and wood chips involved.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making a Tree Stump Planter

Second, using a drill with a long drill bit, start drilling a bunch of holes in the top of the stump. The type of tree wood you are dealing with and the condition of the tree stump will determine the difficulty of this task. It also depends if you’re working with a large tree stump, or smaller stumps. Our tree stump was maple, so it was fairly hard wood, and although the tree had a lot of rot, the portion we were working on was solid.

Hubs went back and forth between using a drill, a wood chisel with a hammer, a chainsaw and a sawzall. Again, depending on how hard the tree stump wood is, this may or may not be a quick process, but just keep at it and experiment to find what works best for your situation. The goal is to hollow out the inside of the stump as much as possible to have enough room to plant in it.

We later purchased a mini chainsaw that I use for various projects, and hubs said he wished he would have had it to hollow out the tree stump. His full-size chainsaws were too large and cumbersome.

Determine how deep you want your hole, so you know when to stop. Hubs simply got tired of the process at around 8 inches deep and asked if it was good enough. It was.

Before you put the drill away, go ahead and drill a few more deep drainage holes. 

How to Plant in Your Tree Stump

Some tutorials will say to line your tree stump with landscape fabric, chicken wire, a plastic pot or some other material. We kept it simple and planted right in the tree trunk. Again, we don’t care if it continues to decay.

Next step, fill the planting hole with good-quality potting soil (don’t use garden soil).

Now, the fun part, plant your favorite flowers. Remember to use shade plants if your stump is in the shade and plants that like the sun if your tree stump is in full sun.

There are measures you can take to extend the life of your tree stump planter, but we wanted a more rustic look, and to keep the natural state of the wood. Yes, it will continue to decay and we’re okay with that.

Tada… our new tree stump planter! It’s a unique feature in our backyard and we receive many compliments and questions about it.

Bonus tip: If you have squirrels, they will dig the flowers out of your stump as soon as you walk away. Sprinkle cinnamon around the flowers and the little rascals will steer clear. I keep a big container of cinnamon with my garden supplies just for this reason.

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What if the Tree Stump is In Your Garden

A few more tree stump planter ideas. This is such a practical use of a tree stump in this shade garden. It looks right at home.

Below is another shade garden tree stump planter. This picture is from about 10 years ago at Munsinger Gardens in St. Cloud, Minnesota. I’m curious if the tree stump planter is still there.

In the photo below, the gardener went all out using tree stumps and tree branches. This is ingenious!

Another cute tree stump planter idea for a small garden.

Even if you don’t have a tree stump that’s still in place in the ground, can you imagine the planters you could create from a bunch of rotten, hollow out logs. The picture below makes me wish I’d kept more of the logs from out trees.

What if you don’t want a DIY project?

If you aren’t up for a DIY project and don’t want to go to the trouble of drilling out the tree stump, simply use the tree stump as a pedestal or stand. Create a grouping of various items on the top to serve as a focal point in your garden. Here are some of the easiest ways to do that:

• Place the top of a birdbath on top of the tree stump. Or, use the bottom of a terracotta pot.
• Create an odd-numbered grouping of smaller planters on top of your tree stump.

Can you see the tree stump below? It’s hidden under the whiskey barrel planter. There are a few areas in my gardens where we simply sat a planter on top of the tree stump and they are basically hidden.

Place a single planter on top of your tree stump. Before we got around to making the planter, this is what I did.

More Creative Tree Stump Ideas 

Make a fairy garden village around the bottom outside of the stump. Add doors and windows to the stump so that it looks like a fairy house. That’s one of my garden projects for this spring. Since creating fairy gardens is such a fun thing to do with kids, I will enlist the help of my grandchildren.

Becky, a Gingham Gardens’ reader from Illinois, is sharing the idea below with us. She says when the tree split, she turned it into a fairy tree for her grandchildren. It’s so creative and adorable!

The top of a tall tree stump is the perfect place for a birdhouse.

Rhea Dawn from Indiana sent me a picture of her tree stump birdhouses in her early spring garden. Super cute and so creative!

I leave you with a few more ideas for making a tree stump planter.

Check out these posts for more DIY and Garden Inspiration using tree branches and logs:

Easy DIY Garden Decor Using Tree Branches
Christmas DIY Projects Using Tree Branches and Logs
Creative Garden Ideas

I hope you’ve gained some ideas for what to do your your tree stump. As you can see, an unsightly tree stump can easily be transformed into a great planter or something else with the right tools, a bit of DIY savvy and your favorite plants. By following the steps outlined above, you can add a beautiful, unique piece in your backyard or garden.

Happy gardening,
Joanna

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