One of my favorite pieces of garden junk is a vintage wash tub.

Truth be told, of the dozens of wash tubs that I have found, admired and eventually sold, I have yet to keep one.

I’m not sure why, but I wrestle a guilty conscience when my husband suggests keeping one of our find’s for the yard.

 Most of the treasures I find are for you…but every so often we give one an extended sleepover at the farm 😉

 Finding vintage wash tubs this year started out as a challenge.

I talked about this when I found a galvanized sink/wash tub for my booth.

The prices seemed to have tripled since last year!

Knowing my customers I had to keep looking for something more reasonably priced.

When we headed to Springfield Flea Market in Ohio I knew I wanted to shop for garden junk.

Prices were a little better in Springfield on the first day of the show, but still nothing approaching a bargain.

On day two of the flea market, my hubby and I split up to tackle more ground.

When we met back up he had purchased three double wash tubs and one single.

He’s a much better negotiator!

What I like most about the tubs is that you don’t need to plant directly into them.

We cut 8 pallet boards 15 1/2 x 19 and nailed them together to create a shelf inside the tub.

Pallet boards are ideal because they are usually constructed of hardwoods that prove to be hardy and can handle the weather.

 The shelf serves two purposes: first, it creates a flat bottom to provide a more stable perch for your plants.

Secondly, you can adjust the boards to have the shelf rest just below the lip of the wash tub.

The wash basins are fairly deep so the shelf will sit the plants higher so you can see more of them.

My favorite part about these garden tubs is being able to easily change flowers out on a whim.

We all have those days when we feel the front of the house “must have” those pretty flowers we eyed at the nursery.

Also, keep in mind that you do not need to restrict the tub to just flowers.

They would also make great herb gardens.

Happy planting,

Kindly, xo

Jane