SEARCH
MENU
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
Creative & Frugal Home & Garden Ideas

Empress of Dirt

  • Grow
  • Make
  • Ideas

New here?

Dig in!

Start here

12 Creative Wheelbarrow Planter Ideas

Published on May 11, 2022 ♛ By Melissa J. Will

This post contains affiliate links.
Read full disclosure statement here.

Share on FacebookShare on PinterestShare on Email

Use these tips and ideas to turn a wheelbarrow into a creative garden planter. Whether it’s wood or metal, old wheelbarrows are perfect for displaying colorful annuals, trailing vines, creating mini plant nurseries, or growing plants like herbs or strawberries.

For more ideas also see Wheels In The Garden—a gallery of things with wheels used as garden art and containers.

Vintage wheelbarrow with vines and purple flowers.
Vintage wheelbarrow with vines and purple flowers

Wheelbarrow Planters

Examples of wheelbarrow garden planters.
Wheelbarrow planters

That old wheelbarrow your neighbor is throwing out may be perfect for creating a one-of-a-kind garden planter.

Choosing a Wheelbarrow Planter

If you’re junk shopping for a wheelbarrow, here are some things to look for.

  • If the wheelbarrow is wobbly, can the bolts be tightened?
  • If the tray (main bowl) is rusted out or has holes, is it still strong enough to hold soil or pots? Or could you reinforce it or replace it?
  • If the tray is ugly, can you paint it or disguise it?
  • Are the support legs intact?

It’s pretty rare that a wheelbarrow destined for the trash cannot be repurposed as a garden planter. If you like the look of it, grab it! With a little care, a lick of paint, and some plants, you should be good to go.

If you want to create your own using old metal wheels, check local online ads in places like Facebook Marketplace (and place your own wanted ad) as well as auction sales, yard sales, second-hand stores, and Etsy or Ebay.


Thrifty garden decor.

Related: My Best Thrifty Shopping Tips For Gardeners


Planting Tips & Ideas

  • Line the tray with landscape fabric to protect wood and prevent soil from falling through the drainage holes.
  • For plants with different soil needs, keep each in its own pot.
  • For maximum wow-factor, follow the thrill—fill—spill formula, with a variety of eye-catching, lush, and trailing plants.
  • Alternately, use the wheelbarrow to raise seedlings or propagate cuttings away from rabbits and slugs or snails.
  • Love seasonal decorating? Place your wheelbarrow by an entry way and enjoy decorating it to suit the seasons all year-round. Pansies, pumpkins, and wintery greenery are all options.

This has fun, no-carve ways to dress up pumpkins using natural materials.

Here are some of my favorite ideas from home garden tours and my own garden.


Funny pumpkin faces created without carving.

Related: Creative No-Carve Pumpkin Ideas (Quick & Fun)


Wheelbarrow With Wooden Trug

Wheelbarrow planter with sweet potato vine.
Garden trug on wheelbarrow with flowers and vine

I got this heavy duty wheelbarrow for just $10 from a local junk seller. It was bright orange so I opted to paint it black and add white flower stencils.

The wooden trug (free instructions) can be functional or decorative. I made it to fit over the wheelbarrow to hold tools while I’m working but also love it with flower pots inside.

This explains more about the difference between annual and perennial plants and reasons to choose one or the other.

Need to figure out how much soil or potting mix you need for a container?
Use our handy soil calculator tool here. It works for containers, raised beds, and garden beds.


Wooden garden trug with string holder.

Related: How to Make a Garden Trug


Antique Wood Cart

Vintage wheelbarrow with flowers.
Vintage wheelbarrow with flowers

This planter is a composite of new and old materials and makes a fabulous patio planter. This one appears to be lined with landscape fabric to help extend the life of the wood.

Potato Vine Planter

Old wheelbarrow with sweet potato vine and purple flowers.
Old wheelbarrow with sweet potato vine and purple flowers

The colorful foliage of the sweet potato vine contrasted with the purple flowers and reddish hue of the old wheelbarrow are gorgeous. There is a how-to guide on growing ornamental sweet potato vine here.


Rooting sweet potato vine cuttings in jars of water.

Related: How to Grow Sweet Potato Vine from Cuttings


Rusty Wheelbarrow

Rusty metal wheelbarrow with purple flowers and iris leaves.
Rusty metal wheelbarrow with purple flowers and iris leaves

This reminds me of old metal wheelbarrows used for concrete work. I love how the leaves—which I assume are irises—contrast with the petunias.


Rusty garden art orb.

Related: 29 Rusty Metal Garden Junk Art Ideas


Wooden Wheelbarrow and Rustic Arbor

Vintage wheelbarrow with colorful flowers next to rustic garden arbor.
Vintage wheelbarrow with colorful flowers next to rustic garden arbor

I visited this garden many years ago and still remember how beautiful it was. The old, faded antique wheelbarrow filled with colorful flowers next to the rustic wood of the arbor—so pretty.


Rose arbor with seating area

Related: Gallery of Arbors, Trellises, Obelisks, and More


Antique Plain Wood Wheelbarrow

Antique wooden wheelbarrow with colorful flowers.
Antique wooden wheelbarrow with colorful flowers

This is one of my favorites—you don’t often see these older wheelbarrows with unpainted wood. The single-color flower choice helps the planter stand out.

Pansy-Mobile

Wooden wheelbarrow with purple and yellow pansies.
Wooden wheelbarrow with purple and yellow pansies

Sometimes old wheelbarrows have seen better days and are best anchored in the garden to live out their days.

Others, like this one, are still functional. Load it up with flowers and move it around as desired throughout the growing season.

Strawberry Planter

Wheelbarrow planted with strawberries.
Wheelbarrow strawberry planter

I turned this wheelbarrow found in the trash into a strawberry planter (DIY instructions) which I have continued growing for years.

As the plants create runners, I root them in the lower section until they are ready to be transplanted elsewhere in the garden.


Ripe and unripe strawberries growing in the garden.

Related: How to Grow Strawberries: Basic Tips That Really Work


Garden Art Wheelbarrow

Old wheelbarrow with broken strawberry pot and red flowers.
Old wheelbarrow with broken strawberry pot and red flowers

I saw this one on a garden tour. I like how they added a broken strawberry pot to the mix.

This has more unique ways to use strawberry pots in the garden.


Strawberry pots used as planters.

Related: Strawberry Pot Planter Ideas: Flowers, Succulents, & Herbs


Wheeled Planter Box

Wheeled flower cart with pink and purple flowers.
Wheeled flower cart with pink and purple flowers

Not really a wheelbarrow but a fun use of old wheels on a wooden planter box. The masses of trailing petunias provide lots of character and color.

Flower Planter

Old wheelbarrow in garden planted with flowers.
Old wheelbarrow in garden planted with flowers

This is a favorite way to fill in bare spaces in garden beds—add vertical garden art, items like homemade obelisks, or a nice wheelbarrow planter like this one.


Resources

More Idea Galleries

  • Garden Paths & Stepping Stones
  • Birdbath Planters
  • Garden Sheds
  • Potting Benches
  • Tree Stumps

Ebook

Garden Art Projects & Ideas book cover

25 Garden Art Projects & Ideas

by Melissa J. Will

Grab the top garden art DIY projects and tips from Empress of Dirt

About This Ebook | Visit Ebook Shop

This ebook is a digital file (PDF format) you save to your device. It is not a physical product.

Buy Now
$6 US

PayPal, Credit Card, Apple Pay

Sourcing Supplies


Thrifty garden decor.

Related: My Best Thrifty Shopping Tips For Gardeners


~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛

Examples of wheelbarrow garden planters.
Share on FacebookShare on PinterestShare on Email

Free Newsletters

Signup for creative & frugal home and garden ideas!

This site is spam-free and you can unsubscribe anytime.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Melissa J. Will - Empress of DirtWelcome!
I’m Melissa J. Will a.k.a. the Empress of Dirt (Ontario, Canada).
Join me as I share creative + frugal home & garden ideas with a dash of humor.
More: Contact/About
New here? Dig in!  |  Our Podcast

Handy Resources

  • Year-at-a-Glance Garden Task List
  • Create Your Garden Profile
  • Soil-Mulch-Potting Mix Calculator
  • Garden Name Generator
  • Printable Garden Planner
  • Favorite Garden Quotes
  • Botanical Plant Names 101
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

Some articles on this site contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Affiliate and Ad Disclosure | Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · Empress of Dirt Creative + Frugal Home & Garden Ideas