STUMPHOUSE BUILDER

A Northwest tradition makes a timely comeback near Sedro-Woolley

They can bring whimsy and a quaint reminder of childhood to a landscaped setting, but houses made of old cedar stumps also have a serious side. They show what creative conservation efforts can accomplish.

For Jeff McClelland, owner of Skagit Landscaping of Sedro-Woolley, the houses also replicate a piece of personal history. His grandfather lived in one in Washington's pioneer days. It was 19 feet by 17 feet -- big for a cedar stump -- but not much bigger than the rest.

"When the pioneers came here they found out that the cedar trees were overripe, so the middle was hollow," McClelland said.

Chopping down most of the tree and adding a roof, doors and windows to the stump was a practical thing to do.

Although McClelland has yet to come across a stump big enough to house a family, he says there are millions of smaller ones that could be used for decoration, for a garden shed or for a child's playhouse.

Usually he cuts the stump into pieces, and then rebuilds it on the site, adding a roof, window and door. Decorative moss and ferns are added to enhance the natural appearance. It takes a day to erect the house and costs about $3,000.

A recent display his product at the Seattle Flower and Garden Show won enthusiastic reviews. The arrangement, which included a stump house and creek, won several show awards and netted McClelland over 175 phone calls expressing interest in the houses.

"The flower show is all theatrics," he said. "I did it because I thought it would be cool. It brings back a piece of everyone's childhood."

McClelland and his grandfather share more than just their affinity for stump houses. The elder McClelland was a brush collector, going into the woods and finding ferns and salal to sell later. As a boy, Jeff McClelland often went on the collecting trips, and learned a lot about the native habitat as well."I grew up about five miles from here," he said. "I love everything about this area."

For the past seven years, his landscaping business has concentrated on salvaging native plants from areas that were about to the logged. Right now he leases about 500,000 acres from logging companies and retains the rights to go into any area slated for logging.

"The logging companies are just going to run logs or trucks over it," he said.

He collects plants like dwarf salal, trillium, Indian plum trees, ferns and native heathers. Native plants are coming back into the forefront for many landscape architects, because they are easy to care for and generally disease free. In fact, one of the latest trends in landscape design is planting an entire area in native materials, trying to make the area look as though it had never been disturbed in the first place.

McClelland's style fits into this trend. He tries to keep his projects as natural looking as possible by using native plants and native rock. He also specializes in water features, especially water falls. The rock he uses, from the Beaver Lake rock quarry, often has high amounts of pyrite, which enhances the sparkling quality of the water.

One of the most rewarding things he does is saving High Mountain Hemlocks, called the most beautiful conifer tree in North America by John Muir. McClelland has several on display at the nursery, where he stores his plant materials. They often take on odd shapes, with long bent branches, and only the top part showing green.

All the plants are stored or replanted on McClelland's seven acre property overlooking Big Lake in Skagit County. He often becomes attached to the plants he salvages, but most can be bought for the right price.

Currently, McClelland is planning stump house projects at a bed and breakfast near Snoqualmie Pass and several residences.

With four employees, Skagit Landscaping brings in higher than average revenue for a landscaping company, McClelland said. Though he is tempted to hire someone to help with the "business" side of the business, he is a hands on type owner who is involved in every project.

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