I'd be worried that the finish of the tub would be scraped, scratched, or otherwise damaged.

If you decide to do this, be SURE that you use a very coarse textured soil-less potting mix. You might want to add bark fines and perlite to your usual brand of potting medium.

In the right spot....would be wonderful! I know someone who had a corner tub by a glass brick wall that they never ever used....the cat's little box lived in the tub. Wound have been great as a planter!
I would line the bottom of the tub with nylon net or something similar and close the drain. Then I would put about 6 inches of plastic packing peanuts in the bottom of the tub, cover them with a cotton fabric ( I wouldn't use landscape fabric as it eventually becomes clogged with fine soil particles) and add a soil less mix on top.
Water very carefully...being careful not to over water, and it ought to be good for 5 years...before it needs to be cleaned out...ugh!
Ever think of doing a water garden in your tub?
Linda C

hi. This question was my question exactly! My tub is old cast-iron and just horrible disgustingly stained in some places. We tried epoxy paint but it came off. So now I want to do some kind of garden in there but there's not enough light and I don't want to stuff up the drain.

(As far as the light -- I have a shower curtain ring all around the tub, and no shower curtain, so I'm thinking I could hang utility lights on it somehow)

These are great suggestions. I'm wondering what a soil-less potting mix is, and if all plants can live in it? what should I look for? I assume you're not talking about something like perlite, which is a mess and I imagine could stuff up a drain as well as soil can?

As far as the possibility of a water garden -- it sounds great, but are you talking about putting the plants in containers filled with rocks, or filling the tub with rocks? I'm a little scared of keeping a tub full of water (we have waterbug-type cockroaches and are always exterminating)

Thanks for any suggestions made 5 years after original posts!

I also have a garden tub that I never used. I love the idea of turning it into a literal garden, but rather than filling it with soil I decided to place one or two planks of live edge wood across the top of the tub. Then I put potted plants on the wood planks, on the ledge around the tub, and on the windowsill! It looks beautiful and I can move, add, or change the plants whenever I want without any problem. The steam from the shower is great for the plants, and the light from the window directly above the tub allows enough natural light to filter in. I love it!

Rosemarie Mihal would you kindly add a picture of your bath gatden?