How to Create a Tree-Stump Planter

Felling a tree is usually an expensive necessity that becomes even pricier when you have to remove the stump that the landscaper leaves behind. Instead of grinding it down, turn the stump into a focal point by filling it with flowers.

Step 1

Start the Planting Hole

Wearing safety glasses, chip away at the center of the stump with the pointed end of a sharpened mattock.

Step 2

Finish the Planting Hole

As the hole gets bigger, switch to the mattock’s wider end. Work your way toward the edges of the stump, leaving at least a 3-inch border, to create a hole 4 to 8 inches deep.

Step 3

Drill for Drainage

With a 3⁄8- to 1⁄2-inch-wide auger bit, drill (or use a bit brace, as shown) drainage holes into the side of the stump so that they slope toward the ground.

Step 4

Fill and Plant

Add some free-draining material, like gravel, then top it with a mix of 30 percent compost and 70 percent potting soil, and fill the planter with some eye-catching blooms.