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Using An Old Bathtub As A Container In Your Garden

By Manuela Williams

I really want to get out in the garden! I have so many plans and I want to start on them now! One thing I’ve always loved is whimsy in the garden and I am looking for an old cast iron bathtub that I could plant with flowers or maybe bamboo for my backyard along the fence line.

Using An Old Bathtub As A Container In Your Garden - Using an old bathtub as a container in your garden is easy, beautiful, and useful too. They can hold a lot of plants and enhance your design. #ACultivatedNest

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to Amazon and/or Etsy, which means that I may earn a small commission from some of the links in this post. Please see our Disclosure Page for more information.

 

Here are some cute old tubs planted as gardens!

Using An Old Bathtub As A Container In Your Garden

We have several tips for you for transforming an old bathtub into a new work of art in your garden or outdoor living space.

  • Fill the bathtub with flowers. Yep! A great way to give your garden lots of bright and vibrant colors is by adding flowers. You can do a variety of sizes to make it even more visually appealing.
  • Fresh herbs are a fantastic option. Looking for a spot to add fresh herbs to your garden? Why not fill a bathtub with gardening soil and add a variety of herbs. They will be right there for you anytime you need them. Plus, depending on what you plant, some herbs are known for keeping bugs away.
  • A great place to grow food. Growing your own food is a frugal way to have groceries on hand and it’s really healthy too.
  • Make it pretty. If you don’t want to add flowers, you can add pretty plants to add some visual appeal.
  • Turn it into a pond. Whether you want to add live fish to it, or you just want pond plants is a unique idea!

1. Clawfoot Tub Planter

Using An Old Bathtub As A Container In Your Garden - Using an old bathtub as a container in your garden is easy, beautiful, and useful too. They can hold a lot of plants and enhance your design. #ACultivatedNest

Garden Betty took an old clawfoot tub and repurposed it into a beautiful bathtub planter! It’s so easy!

2. Beautiful Bathtub Planter

Using An Old Bathtub As A Container In Your Garden - Using an old bathtub as a container in your garden is easy, beautiful, and useful too. They can hold a lot of plants and enhance your design. #ACultivatedNest

Flowers planted in a bathtub via Flickr by Kle58 are a gorgeous way to add lots of color to your outdoor living space.

3. Water Garden Planter

Using An Old Bathtub As A Container In Your Garden - Using an old bathtub as a container in your garden is easy, beautiful, and useful too. They can hold a lot of plants and enhance your design. #ACultivatedNest

They would make great water garden planters too. via the Daily Press

4. Tall Flower Planter

Using An Old Bathtub As A Container In Your Garden - Using an old bathtub as a container in your garden is easy, beautiful, and useful too. They can hold a lot of plants and enhance your design. #ACultivatedNest

I just love this bathtub planted with tall flowers. It looks like a little cottage garden!  via: Lushhome 

5. Raised Bed Garden Idea

Using An Old Bathtub As A Container In Your Garden - Using an old bathtub as a container in your garden is easy, beautiful, and useful too. They can hold a lot of plants and enhance your design. #ACultivatedNest

Use a vintage bathtub as the Gardening Channel did! They give you steps so you can easily replicate this idea.

6. Bathtub Garden Pond

Using An Old Bathtub As A Container In Your Garden - Using an old bathtub as a container in your garden is easy, beautiful, and useful too. They can hold a lot of plants and enhance your design. #ACultivatedNest

Empress of Dirt used their creativity to make a fantastic garden pond with a bathtub. It’s unique, fun, and super relaxing to hear the water.

7. DIY Bathtub Aquaponics System

Using An Old Bathtub As A Container In Your Garden - Using an old bathtub as a container in your garden is easy, beautiful, and useful too. They can hold a lot of plants and enhance your design. #ACultivatedNest

Milk Wood shows you how to make a DIY Bathtub Aquaponics System right in your yard. Grow your own food and have a lovely piece in your yard.

8. DIY Bathtub Pond

Using An Old Bathtub As A Container In Your Garden - Using an old bathtub as a container in your garden is easy, beautiful, and useful too. They can hold a lot of plants and enhance your design. #ACultivatedNest

Add some vibrant color to your living space with this DIY bathtub pond from Creative Kitchen.

These won’t work for every garden but they would be lovely in a cottage-style garden!

Do you have an old bathtub already or will you be purchasing one?

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Filed Under: In the garden, Inspiration Tagged With: garden, Inspiration, upcycling

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Comments

  1. Diana says

    February 16, 2013 at 5:38 pm

    I want to get out in the garden so bad I can’t hardly stand it! It’s been fairly sunny today, but COLD, and windy, too.

    If I had a bathtub in the yard right now — let’s see, I’d plant it up with the lettuce plants and the cute “mature in 45 days” miniature cabbages that I couldn’t keep myself from bringing home from Lowe’s this morning — and violas (because I love violas — but have yet to find a spot where they will thrive in my yard).

  2. Vee says

    February 16, 2013 at 6:31 pm

    I want one in my bathroom. The garden would have to take second dibs. They do look darling!

    • Practical Parsimony says

      February 16, 2013 at 10:22 pm

      My clawfoot tub in the bathroom dowstairs will never see the yard duty. However, if I could get the one upstairs into the yard….

  3. Brenda Kula-Pruitt says

    February 16, 2013 at 8:23 pm

    It would also make a nice water garden with some fishies!
    Brenda

  4. Faith says

    February 16, 2013 at 8:56 pm

    I’ve always wanted one of these tubs…for my bathroom….and wouldn’t mind one for the yard too…but first thngs first. 🙂 These are lovely….

  5. laurie says

    February 16, 2013 at 9:27 pm

    How cute those are! It sure made me wish for Spring’s arrival. laurie

  6. Meadowsweet Cottage says

    February 16, 2013 at 11:21 pm

    I’m with Vee–my bathroom would have first dibs on a clawfoot tub!

    I gotta say that I’m more than ready for springtime and itching to get my hands dirty. Even though little green leaves are poking through the soil, I know I still have some time before I can safely garden without losing plants to the frost (and snow).

  7. Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says

    February 17, 2013 at 8:44 am

    I always thought having an old iron bed would be pretty neat, Manuela. You know as a flower “bed”. These old tubs look like they would hold quite a bit, too. The purple one is quite eye-catching and I love the flowers in it, too.

  8. Kimberly Dial says

    February 17, 2013 at 8:57 am

    I love all of them! I’m eager to get out & get my hands dirty in the flower beds too! Happy gardening my friend!

  9. Lisa Lynn says

    February 17, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    Love these ideas! I’ve always thought they would be cool for a little fish pond 🙂 I would love to have you share this on The Creative HomeAcre Hop today!
    http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/02/the-creative-homeacre-hop-3.html

  10. Terri Cheney says

    February 17, 2013 at 5:33 pm

    The Tub of Petunias is my favorite. I just love petunias and you know the aroma would be awesome!

  11. Lisa Lynn says

    February 17, 2013 at 5:37 pm

    Thanks so much for sharing this on The Creative HomeAcre Hop!!!

  12. Melanie says

    February 17, 2013 at 5:51 pm

    I’ve always loved the look of an old tub filled with flowers in the garden. Unfortunately, my yard is very small and there’d be no room for something like this w/o it looking ridiculous. I plan on doing something with my vintage bike in the garden though this year!

    • Manuela says

      February 17, 2013 at 5:57 pm

      Pretty! I love that look also. You could do something with a small galvanized tub or enamel pan?

  13. Carolynn @ Chenille Cottage says

    February 17, 2013 at 6:26 pm

    Hi Manuela,
    What a fun post. I love each tub full of flowers…Of course, the one that features lots and lots of RED takes the cake for me.
    Thank you for your kind comment and visit, my friend.
    Blessings,
    Carolynn xoxo

  14. Mimi Sue says

    February 17, 2013 at 11:40 pm

    I love this idea! We bought an old watering trough a few years ago and plant vegetables in it. I’d like to find another but these bathtubs would work just as well. Mimi

  15. Carol says

    February 18, 2013 at 4:52 pm

    I would love to have an old bathtub in my garden. It would fit right in with my garden and house style. When we moved into the house there was an old rowboat filled with flowers in the garden and I loved it. But unfortunately the rowboat eventually rotted away.

    thanks for sharing the lovely pictures.

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A Cultivated Nest makes no claims of “expert status” and the owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the use of the information found on this website. Posts may contain affiliate links. A Cultivated Nest is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. A Cultivated Nest is also a participant in the Etsy affiliate program via Awin. This means that I may earn a small commission from some of the links in my posts. Please see our Disclosure Page for more information.

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