Help me rescue this corner

[TheABC]

In need of suggestions from more experienced gardeners! We have a partially shady area around an old tree stump in desperate need of TLC. I would love to make it into a wildlife friendly area with some colourful plants. All suggestions welcome.

TIA.

Some varieties of Buddleia will grow in partial shade and will attract butterflies, bees etc. I think I would put that at the back against the fence although it will need regular pruning as they can get a bit out of hand! Shape the border round in an arc and then I think I would put some logs at the bottom, great for woodlice, earwigs and toads etc then plant ferns round as they enjoy shade. Maybe add a ground level bird bath or large terracotta saucer filled with water and a few large pebbles so birds and other animals can use for a source of water and can climb in and out easily. Perhaps add an insect hotel on the fence too?

Sorry put my glasses on and looked at the picture closely! Realised where the stump is, either plant to the side or put suggested Buddleia or whatever else you fancy in a large pot and stand on the stump!

Thank you! Love the idea of buddleia and ferns as they are large and easy to do. I agree with the water idea, but I am a bit worried about the whole "stagnant standing water" scenario. How do you keep it clean? Just a shallow dish and regular refills?

Can you get the stump removed ? I had a very large one in my garden (3 foot across!) and hired someone who used a wood grinder to grind it down and remove it.

I’d second getting the stump removed if you’ve got the budget for that. A ground level bird bath is unlikely to be popular if you’ve got a lot of cats nearby, but how about a little pond? Ponds do better in part shade (in full sun they go green) and even a small one will attract wildlife. They can be made child-safe with a sturdy metal grille.

You can buy wildflower seed mixes - specialist suppliers have seed mixes for different soils and levels of shade/sunlight. You can choose ones that are specifically designed to support birds or bees for example.

You can just buy online and throw the seed down and see what pops up. The mixes are not expensive. I also think you should try to remove at least some of the tree stump. It will be worth the effort.

Yes, just a shallow dish, I use a plant pot saucer but you do have to scrub it every couple of weeks because it can get a bit slimy. I don’t really get cats in my garden as I have a dog so hadn’t thought about birds and cats!

If you would like a wildlife-friendly area, then the first thing to do is get rid of those bluebells I'm afraid - they are the invasive non-native Spanish ones. Sorry!!
Native bluebells are a much darker blue and flop over delicately with the flowers pointing downwards.

A small fern or two would look nice there, and maybe look in garden centres for wildflower seed mixtures, they do one for shady 'woodland' areas I think.

Oh, the bluebells are going! I am going to hit the garden centre tomorrow for seefs or plants. Sadly, we do have cats, but we keep them in between dusk and dawn to reduce wildlife hunting.

We don't have the budget for stump removal, but making it level and using it as a stand area works.