What to do with all this wood?

[toomanylogs]

We are tackling a neglected garden and we had to have a large conifer taken down as it was growing about six foot from the house.

We have been left with a pile of logs, averaging 45cm diameter and about 18cm deep.

We would love to do something creative with them in the garden but struggling for ideas.

Would love some suggestions (unfortunately we don't have the facility to cut them up any smaller or shape them).

Many thanks

Use them for a stepping-stone path?

18cm could be about the right height for the rise on a staircase.

We did think that but neither of us fancy digging the holes!

Great idea, unfortunately very flat garden.

It has made me wonder if we could build some sort of pyramid out of them, back fill and plant some rockery type plants in the gaps?

Ha, I wouldn’t either but they’d look lovely. Wish I lived near OP because if you wanted someone to take a few off your hands I’d oblige!

I’d make a seat with some, putting a plank across. Probably use some as candle holders and use one for bird food (I have hangers but put food out for a family of robins):

Do you have enough to paint half and use for giant draughts?

It has made me wonder if we could build some sort of pyramid out of them, back fill and plant some rockery type plants in the gaps?

Play around with them and see what sort of structure emerges!

Liking the seat idea.

Could make a playground for the three cats (which is why, as much as I used to get great enjoyment from watching the birds on the feeder, I had to stop feeding them when this lot arrived 😐. Our old boy was scared of birds).

Sadly not enough for draughts and it would a very exhausting game!

Google “stumpery” for the sorts of plants that would like that situation.

Use them on end as a low fence to divide a bit of garden.

If you can work out how to do a head, you have the body of a dragon there.

you could split them with a chunky chisel and a mallet (or heavy stone)

Thank you.

Current (probably stupid) idea is to make a 'patio' and plant in between.

We could do a very effective snake 😀There are loads more (not shown in the photo) that get gradually smaller.

What about a game of Jenga!

Current (probably stupid) idea is to make a 'patio' and plant in between.

It might look good, but I can envisage drawbacks - probably wouldn't be very level, likely to be slippery when wet and will gradually decay.

You could stack them, each row slightly offset with smallish gaps between, against a wall or fence and it would make an amazing bug wall after not too long. You could probably also do as you said, and plant between a few of the gaps too, not too sure what kind of plant could deal with that but if you find something that is for pollinators you will have an abundance of insect life!

And the patio idea is a good one too. If you put them on muddy base and surround them with shingle you wont have to dig them in too much. Low growing ground cover like Thyme, Campanula and even Erigeron will look amazing between the stumps and will grow through the shingle happily.

Can you imagine how fabulously dangerous that would be

Ha! I meant to add ‘on steroids’ but the word escaped me. Broken toes would probably feature!

Agree with your points although it would be tucked round the side of the house and not used as a patio as such.

We have a couple of fantastic lads helping us with the bigger jobs in the garden who lay patios apparently so a job for them I think...

Thank you for the plant suggestions.

I'm now thinking of making a shingle base (fortunately we have some left over from the drive), interspersing it with the trunk logs and edging it with the 'normal' logs that came from the tree.

We can reserve some for a bug wall as well (as far away from the house as possible!).

I was thinking of using them like bricks and creating a low curved wall somewhere in your garden and grow ferns and other crevice loving plants between them.

However, in trying to find what I am on about I have found this. Might work?
https://realaquatics.co.uk/products/heissner-water-features-tree-stump-cascade

Two pieces put flat, upper one at an angle for mouth, two tiny pieces on top painted as eyes.

I'm almost beginning to wish we had more logs!