Farmhouse Inspired Garden Beds
Learn how to easily turn metal stock tanks into beautiful planters. These farmhouse inspired garden beds are the perfect touch any garden needs! #gardenbed #metalgardenbed #farmhouseinspired #metalgarden #farmhousestyle #farmhousegarden
When we moved to our home in Ohio I was so ready to start my garden. I had been an Agriculture teacher for 8 years and put a lot of my time into helping keep a greenhouse running at the school, so gardening at my house was not a priority. I decided to start small and in containers, but I wanted something a little more unique and rustic than plain plastic pots. One day I was watching TV and saw a garden that used galvanized metal tubs for plants and I fell in love with the idea of those farmhouse inspired metal garden beds.
I started with them all around my back patio and they have been perfect for growing vegetables the past few years. This year we added a raised bed garden to our home so the metal garden beds were moved and became a part of our new garden. They are the perfect compliment to our wooden raised beds.
If you are looking for an easy garden bed that adds that rustic farmhouse look to your garden using these metal containers is perfect. Below I have outlined the materials needed and how to easily prepare these containers for plants.
Materials Needed:
Top Soil or Garden Soil
Potting Soil
Preparing Farmhouse Garden Bed...
Start with clean, empty metal tub...
galvanized steel stock tank sitting in grass
Start with any size stock tank or metal tub that you desire.
With any new or used container you need to clean it to be sure there is no bacteria or fungus inside.
Drill Holes in Bottom...
holes drilled in the bottom of metal garden bed
DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! It is so important that there are holes in the bottom of the container so that water can drain from it. If you do not allow water to escape then plants can become waterlogged and roots will rot.
Using a 1/4 inch drill bit and a power drill simply drill holes evenly around the bottom of the container.
Set in Place and Add Gravel...
gravel in bottom of metal garden bed
Before adding anything to the container place it in the spot where you want it. Once you begin adding gravel and soil it will be way too heavy to move.
Add a layer of gravel to the bottom of the container. This helps with water drainage and to keep the soil from getting compacted in the bottom.
Add Soil...
metal garden bed filled with soil
stock tank garden container filled with soil
First, I filled up the majority of the container with garden soil or top soil. These containers take more soil than you expect, so I decided not to try to fill the entire thing with expensive potting soil. Be sure to calculate about how much soil you will need so you purchase enough.
Add outdoor potting soil to the top of the container. I like to have some potting soil because it usually holds water really well and has some good organic matter to help the plants get started.
Be sure to do some research and get the soil that is best for what you want to grow. There are a lot of options available at home improvement stores or garden centers.
Plant and Enjoy your new Garden Beds!
metal garden container with raspberry bush growing in it
up close of raspberry bush growing in metal garden bed
zucchini plant growing in farmhouse inspired garden bed
large stock tank made into a flower garden bed
To learn more about gardening check out my other tutorials/posts:
