Turn An Old Bathtub Into A Stylish Raised Garden Bed

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If you've just completed some home renovations, you've probably experienced a lot of out with the old and in with the new scenarios. You've probably got quite a few household items that you need to either discard or upcycle into something new. You're standing there looking at the growing pile of now-useless items, and the old tub from your newly renovated bathroom catches your eye. It's still sturdy, so surely there's a way to transform it rather than sending it to the landfill. Luckily, there is! There are many cool ways to repurpose an old bathtub around your home, and arguably the coolest is turning it into a stylish raised garden bed that you can fill with flowering plants.

Bathtubs make great planters because they already have a drain hole. Set the tub up at an angle, and you won't need to make any modifications. The project is as simple as setting the tub in the perfect spot in your garden, propping up one side slightly if needed, filling it with good-quality potting soil, and planting it out. To get started, you'll need a bathtub. If you don't have one leftover from a recent reno, ask your neighbors (they'll likely be very happy that you're taking it off their hands). Alternatively, your local salvage yard or Habitat for Humanity could have some old tubs for sale. While you're at it, set aside that old bathroom sink, too. You can turn a thrifted or junkyard sink into a beautiful feature for birds. You'll also need some bagged potting soil, at minimum. Most bathtubs hold 40 to 70 gallons, so use that as a rough estimate for how many bags to buy.

To get started, you first want to grab that bathtub and clean it with non-toxic dish soap, a 10% bleach and water solution, or household vinegar. Depending on the condition of the tub and your preferred garden aesthetic, you may want to paint it inside and out. This step isn't necessary if you're going for the more rustic look. Once the bathtub has dried or the paint has fully cured, move it into its permanent spot. Position the tub so it slopes down toward the drain hole, ensuring good drainage. Prop two legs up on some bricks if needed. Place a few large rocks or some chunky gravel inside the tub, encircling the drain hole, so that it doesn't get clogged with soil.

Once your tub is in position, it's time to fill it with soil. You can use all-new potting mix or, if you happen to have any old soil lying around, blend it in with the new mix to save some money. It's a brilliant way to reuse old potting soil instead of tossing it out. Alternatively, you could do a 50:50 mix of potting soil (new or old) and compost — either your homemade compost or some store bought bags. If you want to be really frugal, you could create a hugelkultur bed. Fill the bathtub with pruned stems, lawn clippings, straw, and dried leaves and top it with a few inches of soil. You'll have to add more soil as the materials underneath decompose, but that's often the case with raised garden beds anyway.

Now it's time for the fun part: adding plants to this unexpected bathroom item you have repurposed in your garden. While this idea isn't unique — lots of savvy gardeners have discovered that an old bathtub is a perfect ready-to-use raised garden bed — what you plant in it can be. Peruse suggestions on the best methods and ideas on what to grow in your new garden feature to really make it stand out. You have so many different options! 

You could grab some flowering annuals from the garden center to create an explosive patch of color in your backyard — one you can change from season to season. Alternatively, you could fill the bed with blooming perennials, such as lavender, trailing geranium, gazanias, or whatever else takes your fancy or you find at your local nursery. Or go for bulbs and tubers: What about a collection of different colored dwarf dahlias? If your bathtub garden sees full sun, they will love growing in there. Bear in mind that dahlias die back in cold weather, so there'll be nothing in your tub over winter.

You could also turn your large repurposed bathroom fixture into a miniature wildflower meadow. All you have to do is purchase a Seedphony Non-GMO Heirloom Wildflower Mix or a similar product and scatter the seeds thickly over the soil in your bathtub. Cover them very lightly with some vermiculite. Wait for the stunning display, which will evolve as the seeds germinate, sprout, and later flower. If you live in a desert climate, turn this interesting feature into a succulent garden. Use Soil Sunrise Cactus and Succulent Potting Mix instead of potting soil and plant thriller, filler, and spiller species for balance.