Hey, go back to this post to get a couple of neat giant bubble ideas for your tub.

Here is a link that might be useful: giant bubbles

If you make your 'rugs' out of planks and set it on cedar rails, it'll be off the ground a bit and still keep the weeds and grass from growing up underneath them. I used styrofoam peanuts in a galvanized bath tub planter to provide drainage without making it too heavy to pick up and move. Are you going to place manniquins in the tubs to look like they're taking a bath? If so, you might want to just plant white flowers to make it look like they're having a bubble bath. I'd get a kick out of a set up like that in my yard, but I'm afraid my DH would have a problem with it. Cheryl

I filled an old milk can about half full of empty water bottles, then filled the rest with dirt to plant flowers in. Maybe milk jugs for your tubs. I had to shake it pretty vigorously to settle the dirt between the bottles before topping it off. How much sun to you get under your pines? That will make a difference in what flowers you should choose.

What ever filler you use for the bottoms of the tub, put screening of some sort over it before you add the dirt and plants, especially if is is those foam peanuts. You might even want to put the 'things' in plastic garbage bags. So that when you decide to empty it, it won't be as hard to do. Just ideas that came to mind.....

I too was going to suggest empty (clean) milk jugs with caps to make it less heavy. So you don't need to do as much shaking you could place them on a shallow bed of dirt (after covering a layer of drainage material as suggested above) and then pour more dirt over and among. If there is still a lot of room add some smaller bottles in the same way. You want a foot of soil I would think for perennials. The roots will grow down among the bottles too. Do put something over the drain to keep it from being clogged, you need drainage. I think Johnny Jump ups would work. I've heard that the trick to above ground planters in cold places is to plant things that can survive 2 zones colder than the one you are in. So if you are in Zone 4 (like me) use plants that can go to Zone 2. I had a flat of Sweet William overwinter in a plastic tray last winter so I think that must be pretty hardy. I have sedums and hens and chicks planted in an old tree stump and they love it there. Would creeping phlox grow around the tubs on the ground do you think? It gets pretty dense and would like like a pretty fuzzy bathroom carpet. May be too shady tho...

Good luck
kathy

Glad you decided to post and look forward to seeing your pics. I don't post all that much but try to look in every day for a bit for inspiration.

I think your idea is a good one. I thot of doing something similar when I bot an old tin bathtub at a YS for $5. I was going to plant all white frothy plants and white daisies in it such as baby's breath, white yarrow, feverfew, and shastas so there would be different heights of "bubbles". After I thot about it awhile I did a fairy garden in it instead. Might do the bubbles thing another year tho.

I'd do as suggested above and use empty milk bottles with landscape fabric over them to keep the soil above. A cheaper alternative might be to use an old piece of carpet instead of the landscape fabric. I've never tried that but have read of others doing so. Depending on plants 8"-12" of soil is enough.

THANKS everyone!

That pic of shysue's was EXACTLY what I imagined! Even the blue tub... pink for the other.

Since the tub only cost $3, I figured I could spend extra on an opaque paint for the BB's.

The Johnny Jump-ups were only $3 a flat, and I bought the light violet color, so that will work.

Plenty of empty water bottles & peanuts. The suggestions reminded me of all the pckg stuff I have downstairs.

NOW, 1) I clean out the vehicles of all the empty water bottles. 2) I cleanout the basement of all the pckg stuff. 3) I do a major recycling 4) I get a pretty new planter. 5) I ANNOY the nasty neighbors w/ a bathtub planter... lol... (EVERYDAY their 2 BIG dogs come to do-do on MY lawn)

OK, where's my GOLD STAR for the day?!?! Pics to follow.

Sounds like you are on your way to double tubs!! Impatiens come in white & like shade but wouldn't survive winters. Candytuft come is white & has very green lacy leaves I have the Iberis umbrellata- it has globe shaped heads of tiny white flowers & mounds, it's a perennial so should survive winters! Have fun! Jan

Where on earth did you find flowers for $3 a flat? I am right in Buffalo and never find cheap flowers. Please give me the name of that nursery. Also please post pictures when you are done with the tub.

Well I used a lot of gravel/rocks for drainage and then added the soil. I put some screen mesh over the plumbing and drain holes. I have two antique claw foot tubs as well. One on each side of my patio. I've had them for 20 years now.

Love the bathtub planter idea! You might want to ask over at the Container Gardening forum for plant ideas... lots of very sharp folks over there! Most of the posts right now are about veggie growing, but there are several serious soil experts that can help you with filling those tubs up.

I've used all sorts of things to fill up the bottoms of my larger containers - styro peanuts, crushed drink cans, soda bottles, and even upside-down plastic flower pots (the nursery kind - just cover the holes to keep your soil from filtering in).

One thing about containers of all sizes, though, is you have to change the soil out every couple of years because it becomes compacted and you run into issues of water movement and retention. There's a great post by one of the container gardening experts on the subject... I'll post the link below. It's long but well worth the read if you're going to invest a lot of work into container gardening!

Here is a link that might be useful: Container Soils - Water Movement and Retention