An inspired gardener transformed an old tree stump into a magical cottage. It has been a hit with local animals, attracting foxes, badgers, deer, rabbits, weasels, snakes, owls and butterflies.
Tinner Tinsky’s little wooden cottage in Brean, Somerset, also has a family of rabbits living underneath. It comes complete with a door and a living roof.
Tinner says he built the stump as part of a project to re-wild his garden four years ago. He also planted a variety of native shrubbery to create a special bug habitat.
He said: “I created Wonderland cottage out of an old tree stump and put a living roof of ivy on the top. The wildlife seem to like it and hoping birds will nest in the ivy in the spring. It gives me real pleasure to encourage and help the wildlife flourish and I would encourage anyone to leave a small part of their garden untouched.”
Tinner added: “I started by not mowing the grass and then planting many trees and native shrubs and hedging, next I made many trips to the beach to collect driftwood and made several large piles in the garden and planted lots of dead branches and tree trunks to encourage woodpeckers, after that I dug a pond.
“I now have quite a mix of wildlife visiting and living in the garden, fox, badger, deer, rabbits, weasels, kestrels, buzzards, sparrowhawks, owls, jays, kingfishers, grass snakes, marbled white butterflies and many more.
“As you can see from the smoke coming out of the chimney all of the wildlife are all inside tucked up asleep by the fireplace although the deer was a bit disappointed that he was too big to fit through the doorway!”