romantic intentions

PAT AND WALTER RIEHL’S STUMPERY GARDEN ON VASHON ISLAND, OFF THE US WEST COAST, IS Photographer Claire Takacs captures the A PALETTE OF EMERALD HUES. AUSTRALIAN TREE FERNS, DICKSONIA ANTARCTICA AND RHODODENDRONS FRINGE THE centuries-old Victorian pastime of stumpery PATH THAT LEADS ONE ALONG AND DOWN INTO THE GARDEN

gardening in her debut, Dreamscapes OPPOSITE PAGE EMERALD GREEN FERNS AND NATURALLY OCCURRING MOSSES COLONISE A COLLECTION OF SALVAGED COMPILED BY HEIDI BERTISH PHOTOGRAPHS CLAIRE TAKACS DOUGLAS FIR TREE STUMPS

82 HOUSE GARDEN JUNE 2018 JUNE 2018 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.ZA 000 he idea of stumperies is rooted in the 19th-century British Romantic Movement that hyperbolised the beauty of nature. Pat and Walter Riehl’s new stumpery on Vashon Island is a hidden forest of native tree stumps brimming with emerald ferns, mosses and lichens planted in homage to this romanticism. Inspired by visiting European ferneries and stumperies with British fern expert Martin Rickard, as well as the secret stumpery created by Prince Charles at his Highgrove Estate, the Riehls have spent the past few years clearing their 110-square-metre shaded ravine of nettles and thistles to make way for a collection of around 175 Madrone and Douglas Fir Tree stumps bejewelled in some of their favourite fern varieties such as Blechnum, Adiantum, Polypodium and Dryopteris, to name but a few. The result – the largest stumpery in the United States. ‘As you access the garden through the pergola, which is piled high with stumps on all sides, you enter another world,’ says Claire Takacs of her experience of photographing this enchanting space. As the collection of native tree stumps slowly decompose, they provide wondrous sculptural interest and have become home to a multitude of plants, birds and insects. Colour is kept to a minimum – the only flowers being Epimedium in the form of ground cover. This restraint adds to the peaceful nature of a space planted with a great diversity of rare and unusual ferns. Moss softens the woodland garden naturally and Pat’s pride and joy are the south-eastern Australian tree ferns, Dicksonia antarctica. WINDING DEEPER INTO THE n WOODED RAVINE, ONE IS This is an edited extract from INCREASINGLY ENGULFED Dreamscapes by Claire Takacs, IN THE ARCHING FRONDS OF DICKSONIA ANTARCTICA, PAT’S published by Hardie Grant Books. FAVOURITE PLANT, AND THE 8 GARGANTUAN CANOPY OF It is available from amazon.com or LOCAL FIR AND CEDAR TREES 8 loot.co.za

000 HOUSE GARDEN JUNE 2018 JUNE 2018 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.ZA 85 1 2 3 7 4 Pat Riehl’s Favourite Garden Ferns

1. Adiantum venustum is a Himalayan maidenhair ‘ground cover’ fern that thrives in the harshest of winters and Asarum splendens (Chinese Wild Ginger) is a deciduous perennial that flowers in late winter followed by speckled metallic- like foliage in early spring. 2. Adiantum venustum. An evergreen maidenhair fern native to China and the Himalayas. A good spreading ground cover, ‘but not a thug’, says Pat. 3. Beesia deltophylla, an evergreen perennial that thrives in bright shade and develops delicate, white flowers on tall stalks. Added bonus – it self-seeds. 6 4. A tree stump encrusted with 5 naturally occurring moss. 5. Athyrium niponicum var. pictum ‘Ursula’s Red’. The Japanese Painted Fern has arching triangular leaves of silver, flushed with wine red down the middle during the spring months. 6. Asplenium trichomanes. One of Pat’s all-time favourites and a tough evergreen fern. A compact plant forming a rosette of black-stemmed fronds suited to planting in a dry wall, rocky soil or on stumps. 7. Saxifraga fortunei ‘Silver Velvet’ is A DEEP GULLY WITHIN THE RAVINE a deciduous perennial that does best WHERE MADRONE AND DOUGLAS FIR TREE STUMPS HAVE BECOME THE in partial to full shade with pretty pink SHADY HOME TO FROGS, INSECTS AND flowers in autumn. ‘It thrives in moist A MULTITUDE OF LOCAL BIRD LIFE but well-drained soil and does well in a pot,’ says Pat.

86 HOUSE GARDEN JUNE 2018 JUNE 2018 HOUSEANDGARDEN.CO.ZA 000 Stumperies to Visit

IN THE USA The Victorian Stumpery at the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Washington is one of the largest public stumperies, with over 140 stumps and logs. 8 rhodygarden.org IN THE UK The stumpery at Biddulph Grange, Staffordshire. Built in the 1850s, it’s believed to be the first stumpery ever created. 8 nationaltrust.org.uk A recent addition to the Burnby Hall Gardens in Yorkshire, inspired by Prince Charles’ stumpery on his Highgrove Estate. 8 burnbyhallgardens.com HRH Prince Charles’ garden at Highgrove, in Gloucestershire, is the largest stumpery in the UK. It was designed by Julian and Isabel Bannerman. 8 highgrovegardens.com Ickworth Stumpery, in Suffolk, is part of a larger, Italianate-style garden. It boasts stumps uprooted during the Second World War. 8 nationaltrust.org.uk

‘AS YOU ACCESS THE GARDEN THROUGH THE PERGOLA PILED HIGH WITH STUMPS ON ALL SIDES, YOU ENTER ANOTHER WORLD,’ SAYS CLAIRE TAKACS OF HER EXPERIENCE PHOTOGRAPHING THIS Garden Book of the Month ENCHANTING SPACE Dreamscapes is an exciting OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE, collection of 69 of the world’s FROM TOP THE RIEHLS’ HOUSE AS GLIMPSED THROUGH THEIR WOODLAND most iconic private and public STUMPERY GARDEN; THE PATHWAY gardens, from Australia to the INTO THE STUMPERY GARDEN; ONE OF 175 MADRONE AND DOUGLAS FIR TREE UK. It is a mesmerising journey STUMPS ENCRUSTED IN SOME OF THE seen through the lens of Claire RIEHLS’ FAVOURITE FERN VARIETIES; Takacs, complete with personal SPECIALITY FERNS AND HOSTAS THRIVE IN POTS CLOSER TO THE HOME anecdotes and insight into the horticultural world.

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