Stumpery Garden, Sizergh Castle Garden Visits

A stumpery garden was a popular feature of Victorian gardens. The stumpery at Sizergh Castle is not Victorian but a recent development. I first visited it in August 2016, just after it was opened to the public and most recently during this summer, 2019.

I have to admit that I visit Sizergh Castle and Gardens most years. It is a favourite place to drop into, see what’s happening in the castle and gardens and to eat a delicious scone. Possibly a slightly biased view of the gardens, as my visits tend to be in late spring and summer. But this year I was delighted to see the stumpery well on the way to maturity. Despite the heavy rain I had a satisfying look at the ferns, as you can see in the short video clip at the end.

What is a stumpery?

Those wonderful Victorian gardeners and garden enthusiasts loved to display their plant collections. Stumperies became the fashionable way to show off one’s fern collection. In layout they were probably inspired by artificial rockeries and natures method of growing ferns on fallen tree stumps.

I shall return to stumpery gardens in another blog, looking at their history, where and how to create one for yourself. Plus which ferns to grow, other plants to complement the ferns and the benefits for wildlife. As well as being a home for ferns, stumperies provide habitats for many small vertebrates and invertebrates.

Creation of the Stumpery Garden

Sizergh Castle holds the National Plant Collection for four types of fern, and finding a place for them to be seen together was one of the motives for the new stumpery garden.

A serendipitous mixture of planning, creativity, generosity and hard work went into turning this overgrown area in to the first National Trust stumpery in Cumbria. Stumperies should not be a jumble of logs, but designed to show off the ferns, the interesting shapes of the tree stumps and the other plants which help to give a year round display.

You might expect that the wood came from other areas of the garden and the Sizergh Estate. But you may well be surprised if I told you that those stumps were donated by Costain. Costain have been constructing the new Heysham to M6 Link Road, less than half an hours drive away. And in late 2015, Head Gardener Susan Rowley went to the construction site and chose 20 large tree stumps.

Once Costain had used machinery to transfer the stumps, some as heavy as 2-3 tonnes, human muscle moved them into position. Gardeners, Rangers and Volunteers set the trees to show off those fascinating root patterns and to display the ferns.

Using what would otherwise be waste products from the road construction in this way, supports the local community, National Plant Collections, Charities and wildlife.

“When I received the request to help create a ‘stumpery’, I thought someone was pulling my leg! But we’re delighted to assist The National Trust at Sizergh with the creation of this feature from a bygone era,” said Community Relations Officer Antony Crowley. “Once the concept was outlined, it became clear that we had the ability and materials to be able to assist. Of the many requests we receive for assistance, this was certainly one of the more unusual, however it also aligned with our ‘Leaving a Lasting Legacy’ strategy.”

Opening the Stumpery

2016 was a good year for Cumbrian ferns. As not only was this garden created as a permanent home for Sizergh’s Fern Collection, but it was the 125th Anniversary of the British Pteridological Society. Pteridologicalists are fern enthusiasts and collector and the Society was founded in 1891 in Kendal, the town nearest to Sizergh. Members of the group attended the July Official Opening.

It’s a moot point perhaps as to whether it’s the plants or the tree stumps that should take centre stage. In the early days, the sculptural forms of the stumps will naturally dominate. One reason why they should be chosen for their aesthetic qualities as well as supportive ones.

And some of the root patterns on the stump bases were really quite stunning. Not so easily seen 3 years later, unless you visit this area in early spring, before the herbaceous plants and ferns start growing.

Sizergh has ferns growing in various borders around the kitchen garden, orchard, borders as well as the stumpery. Ferns do not all need damp shade, which makes them a worthier garden plant than you might first think. They are grown here in a range of sun and shade situations. The soil at Sizergh is predominantly a shallow layer of fairly neutral loam over limestone bedrock. Thanks to the nearby Gulf Stream it has a moderate winter climate, but also an average rain fall of 50 inches.

4 National Plant Collections of Ferns at Sizergh Castle

However statuesque the stumps are, it is the collection of ferns that impressed me most on my visits. Many native ferns grow in the Lake District; the climate and soil suits them. So it is not surprising that the Stumpery Garden at Sizergh hold a National Collection for four!

Asplenium scolopendrium

Harts Tongue fern, a hardy fern and one which you may recognise from your own garden. It’s solid evergreen fronds make it a good year-round backdrop to other planting. Asplenium scolopendrium marginatum undulatum is a highly descriptive name for this Harts Tongue fern with a rippling leaf edge.

Cystopteris

Good to view this fern in June – August; it’s also known as bladder fern or brittle fern. Cystopteris fragilis is an excellent fern for a damp shady spot tucked into a split in a tree stump.

Dryopteris

This fern looks good from May to October. It prefers a dryish site, but will tolerate most soils except boggy ones. The genus offers deciduous and evergreen forms, but all have the delightful shuttlecock shape.
Dryopteris filix-mas, synonym Aspidium filix-mas, common names include male fern and basket fern.

Osmunda

The Royal Fern, Osmunda regalis is also a familiar sight. It spreads by rhizomes when happy and can grow to 7ft high. (I’ll have to re-visit to see how these ones are doing at Sizergh!)
This fern offers a variety of interest starting with the emerging fronds, called croziers in early May. By October, the fronds are turning from green to bronze.

Other Ferns and Plants in the Stumpery Garden

There are lots of other delicious ferns to see. The Chilean Hard Fern, Bletchnum chilense, whose fronds start red then change to green makes a lovely addition to a stumpery or border.

Polypodium cambricum, Welsh polypody fern, is semi-evergreen, new pale green fronds appear in late summer, adding another dimension to the planting here. Polystichum setiferum, the soft shield fern, is an evergreen fern with a prostrate habit, giving it a contrasting shape to the upright ferns. And waving from the background, the Australian Tree Fern, Dicksonia antarctica an evergreen which is hardy in the UK.

Ferns combine well with other plants, whether that’s as a backdrop for smaller ground-cover plants, taller herbaceous perennials or flowering bulbs in the spring. The differences in shape and form enhance the overall planting scheme. Tree stumps over a convenient support for Clematis to scramble over.

Plantings of Epimedium and Geranium provide flowers in spring and summer and ground cover most of the year. Hosta foliage offers a good contrast of leaf shape. The size and solidity nicely plays off against the dissected leaf fronds of the ferns. I’m impressed by the lack of slug and snail damage: organic gardening methods can pay off.

The Primulas look good with a fern backdrop. I had to go away and purchase some Primula florindae after seeing them here and Primula japonica ‘Postford white’ has also been added to my ‘need this plant’ list.

Is it worthwhile visiting the Stumpery at Sizergh Castle Gardens?

You’d expect me to say “Yes” and I do. It offers an opportunity to see how historical gardening trends can be adapted to suit areas of the garden that may be perceived as ‘difficult’. Stumperies make good wildlife habitats, and of course, re-using tree stumps that might otherwise be burnt is another plus. If you love plants, you will be inspired to grow some of these ferns and woodland plants for yourself. If you’re already a fern lover, you’ll enjoy seeing them set out in this attractive yet informative manner (the plants are mainly labelled).

There is more for you to see at Sizergh, both in the gardens and the Castle itself. The world famous Rock Garden is currently being given an update. I’ll be writing about that, but by all means, visit before I do so 🙂

Would you like help creating your own stumpery garden? Please get in touch, Plews would love to help you!

And Finally …

A Note to those who, like me, see connections in random events: –
Antony Crowley is Community Relations Officer for Costain. Anthony Crowley is a demon and one of the two lead characters in “Good Omens”. Originally a book by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, more recently a TV series, screenplay by Gaiman. Crowley has house plants, including ferns, that he talks to, aka terrifies into growing lushly. (See, there is a horticultural link )