‘Faux Bois’ is a French term meaning ‘False Wood’ , and is a bit of a lost art . I bought this pair of wonderful antique planters at an auction in Philadelphia, and had them shipped to me in Vancouver. The shipping cost as much as I paid for planters (!!!) , but they are very unique and worth it! They are very heavy, being made of concrete. I have long admired the wonderful, handmade faux bois railings used everywhere in Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C. There are garden benches, birdbaths, seats, bird cages and garden bridges made in this charming style. Look online at auctions to find ‘faux bois’ pieces. Don’t let Martha Stewart get them all !

I put an upside-down 5 gallon nursery pot inside my stump to occupy space and replace soil – which should prevent the pots from freezing and cracking.

The ‘arms’ of my stumps each were deliberately partially blocked with styrofoam chunks to prevent soil from washing down the middle.

These large pots (1 gallon size) of the very hardy ‘Hen and Chicks’ (Sempervivums) would be perfect for my project. I envisioned each pot filling each arm of my stumps.

The root mass of each Sempervivum was a bit too large for the openings, so I  removed about 1/3rd of it and pushed and twisted each clump into position.

The colours and forms of the Sempervivums really look great when displayed this dramatically. They need virtually no care, live through the coldest winters and have replaced tender succulents like Echeverias in my garden creations. I added a couple ‘Woolly Thyme’  (Thymus pseudolanguinosis) to the top openings in each stump. I like the shaggy tumble of grey foliage this plant makes when grown in pots.