Wheelbarrow planters have become a fixture in modern gardens. They offer a touch of nostalgia and an opportunity to upcycle a piece of your family’s history. We’ve put together an inspiring cooked collection of wheelbarrow planter ideas for you.

If you don’t have an old wheelbarrow, try looking at garage sales, flea markets, Craigslist, or take a drive through your neighborhood on trash day. If you enjoy woodworking, there are plans available online for you to make it yourself.

It’s easy to turn a wheelbarrow into a planter. Remove any rust or chipping paint. Depending on the extent of the rust, you may have to upgrade from a brush to an angle grinder.

Drill holes in the tray for drainage. Laying fiber mesh over the bottom prevents soil from dropping through. Set up the wheelbarrow in place before adding anything. You want it to be level and stable. If it’s going to be resting in soil, you may want to bury the wheel and back support brace. When you’re satisfied that it’s level and secure, add your favorite potting mix and plants.

You can paint it with any outdoor spray paint. Seal wood to prevent rot from ruining all your work.

What can you plant in a wheelbarrow planter? The size of the tray will be the biggest factor, but generally, anything you can put in a hanging planter or wooden planter box should do fine.

1. Custom Painted Garden Wheelbarrow Planter

A smaller wheelbarrow that’s close to the ground is a great home for a collection of primrose. Paint your wheelbarrow any color that suits your yard.

The handle frame and metal wheel are painted in the same contrasting color.

Wheelbarrows have become such a popular garden decoration, they’re now built specifically as planters. Delicate blooms such as Garden Cress and even herbs can thrive in a small garden planter.

They’re less likely to be mistaken for weeds when mowing, too.

A tray full of geraniums settles into this custom made planter.

The plans for this garden planter are sold online. You can choose the color or finish that works best in your garden.

Petunias fill a handcrafted wheelbarrow planter. The wooden wheel is fixed to the handle frame, so make sure it’s where you want it, because it won’t be rolling anywhere.

Geraniums fill this vintage, angular wheelbarrow. Leaving the wood in its original weathered state matches the stone retaining wall.

Get a wheelbarrow look without hunting through flea markets and garage sales. This planter is made to look like a wheelbarrow.

A collection of marigolds turns a wheelbarrow into a beautiful garden tool organizer.

If the flowers are set in individual pots, the wheelbarrow can still be used to transport mulch and soil.

A vintage wooden wheelbarrow looks right at home. It’s set up on the grass near a path as if it was left there for years.

Old construction wheelbarrows had large trays.

This allows them to be filled with plenty of soil for a large garden bed. This old rust tray was reimagined to become a beautiful bouquet.

Classic petunias turn a dilapidated old wheelbarrow into a delightful planter.

The secret is planting the flowers close together. Their abundant beauty outshines everything else.

Hens and Chicks succulents look right at home in a rusted wheelbarrow next to a weathered fence.

Succulents can thrive in sandy soil as long as the tray has effective drainage.

You can spray paint the wheelbarrow to suit your taste. Painting this wheelbarrow all black allows the white and purple pansies to take center stage.

Petunias and Sweet Potato Vine look comfortable nestled in a large flower bed.

A small wheelbarrow full of blooms adds another dimension to gardening. This mid-height planter fits right between the taller Sedum and a small container of blooms.

A vintage wheelbarrow gets new life with flowers from an English garden. This wheelbarrow is anchored as the wheel is somewhat buried.

It was also positioned on gravel for stability and to keep it level.

A simple wooden wheelbarrow can either be used as a flower planter with soil, or it can be used to hold several traditional planters.

The wheelbarrow will last longer if the dirt is held away from the sides of the bin.

Hanging plants like petunias and begonias work well with wheelbarrows. Their trailing nature gives the flowers a cascading effect.

This wheelbarrow is one example of an old market-style transporter.

Add a mini garden to your deck with a small wheelbarrow planter filled with pansies and ornamental grasses.

A wheelbarrow planter is a fun place to add enchantment to your garden.

A gnome decided to hitch a ride in the middle of this little garden.

Vintage pieces may not need much upcycling. The wood on this wheelbarrow was left alone.

The most significant upgrade was removing rust from the metal wheel. By adding plants in terracotta pots, the wood will last much longer.

This wider type of vintage wheelbarrow could have been used for bringing fruits and vegetables to market.

Today, it sees new life as a planter for blooms such as geraniums.

You can get an ornamental wheelbarrow planter like this one online and at many nurseries.

The advantage here is the planter is already level and treated with an environmentally friendly finish.

It’s important to ensure your wheelbarrow is level before filling it with flowers. A wheelbarrow that leans will subject plants to over and under watering.

The wide frame on this wheelbarrow is well suited for handling the weight of a garden planter.

Any type of wheelbarrow can be used as a planter as long as it’s treated properly.

Removing rust from the tray and lining it with plastic will go a long way in extending its life.

Posies and forget-me-nots create a delightful bouquet.

This medium-sized wheelbarrow will fit in with a cottage or ranch style home.

A wider tray is a great way to display a miniature garden.

Metal can be painted over or the old finish can be sealed with a clear coat to prevent further rusting while persevering the antique look.

Succulents are a natural choice for wheelbarrows. Their brown sandy soil blends with a rusty tray.

Check out how deep the front tire is buried in the sand. The cart is buried deep to prevent it from toppling over.

A red wheelbarrow is the perfect backdrop for these hanging plants.

It can work to hide bulging tree roots.

Daylilies, yellow pansies, and impatiens are just a few of the yellow flowers that will glow in an old wheelbarrow.

A variety of roses were planted in a whitewashed wheelbarrow, instantly creating a classic piece.

Baby’s breath fills this ornamental wheelbarrow, bringing height to a patio filled with planters.

This wheelbarrow and flowers balance out the height of the large wheel.

Get this look by planting a ground cover like white creeping thyme, snowflake phlox or clematis.

A deeper tray will support taller flowers or even a dwarf shrub, such as azaleas.

This vintage wheelbarrow was picked up at an estate sale and filled with flowers that attract hummingbirds.