Rustic Garden Decor Ideas and Design

Rustic gardening is a trend that has risen in recent years, and many people are looking for inspiration on how to create the perfect space for themselves.

Below are some of my favorite ideas that offer rustic garden decor ideas and design.

A great way to add some vintage garden decorations is from flea markets, auctions, and garage sales to give a space a casual country landscape design.

I have enjoyed gardening for several years, and there isn’t an activity that I find more rewarding. I love a cottage garden style with beautiful flowers and small trees.

Relaxing on the porch of the rustic garden shed, planting new flowers, or plucking weeds from the flower gardens, I relish my time working amongst the flowers creating rustic designs.

What is a Rustic Garden Decor Style?

The rustic garden style is full of charm and character. Using authentic, natural, one-of-a-kind pieces, rustic garden designs should feel cozy and casual for the whole family to enjoy.

This space brings me back to when everything was simpler with a natural look.

A rustic garden is created with love for repurposing everyday objects, or antique finds into gorgeous unique planters.

Rustic vintage gardens are generally very informal, with borders made of natural wood materials, such as rocks or timber.

While creating rustic garden decor will vary with creative ideas, the unique look will offer creative, eye-catching beauty for everyone to enjoy.

Rustic Garden Decor Ideas

The journey to creating a rustic country garden begins with browsing through flea markets and antique shops. It is spending the day attending an auction or going to local yard sales.

Next, start searching for old-fashioned treasures from years gone by. For example, metal buckets, wheelbarrows, ladders, barrels, vintage sinks, or other related pieces would add a rustic feel to the garden.

Creating a rustic garden is a slow process that evolves and changes over time, allowing the gardener to enjoy the creation process.

At times, it is learning to be content with the simplistic joy of waiting for the next perfect treasure to come along that can be used for rustic garden decor ideas.

How Do You Make a Rustic Garden?

Choose a Space

The first step in creating a rustic garden is choosing the perfect place to establish one. Consider an outdoor area around a garden shed or the space around the edge of the home.

Plant Perennials

When designing a new flower garden area, first begin planting perennials. It is important to consider the size of the perennial once it is fully grown.

This will help determine where the plant should be placed. Tall plants will be placed in the back, while shorter plants will be placed in the front of the flower garden.

Place Weed Barrier

To help prevent weeds, adding a layer of weed barrier after planting perennials is a good idea. The best free option is cardboard, but Weed Barrier Paper is also a great option. The paper degrades naturally, like cardboard, enriching the soil for next year.

Add Mulch

Once perennials are planted, add a layer of about 3 inches of mulch to help retain moisture, increase soil nutrition, and reduce weeds.

Add in Garden Treasures

Once the mulch is placed, place fun antique pieces into the flower beds. The wonderful thing about the collected vintage pieces is that they can be moved as the surrounding plants grow and fill in.

Vintage garden planters are often moved around as they are not permanent fixtures, and they can fill the void in empty spaces.

Plant Containers

Most rustic pieces I use in my garden can be garden planters. The last step in creating a rustic garden is to fill those containers with pretty flowers.

Have Patience

A beautiful garden takes time to grow, and it can take up to three years for perennials to begin to reach their full size.

As the plants grow and fill space, the rustic garden decor pieces can be moved to accommodate the space best.

Rustic Garden Decor Ideas

Filling a space with flowers is the heart of rustic garden decor. While I have been collecting various old-fashioned garden treasures for several years, I love making them look stunning by adding flowers.

So come along, and I will share some of my favorite planters that add a rustic touch to the garden.

Rustic Garden Planter Ideas

You can use various containers for planters: metal buckets, old farmhouse sinks, whisky barrels, nail kegs, old wheelbarrows, and galvanized washtub.

Using different forms of containers will help obtain a more natural rustic look.

The most crucial factor is ensuring drainage holes at the bottom of the containers. One of the best ways to add drainage holes is to drill holes in the bottom of the buckets, tubs, or pails.

Another easy way is to use a hammer and nail to poke a hole into the bottom of the container. After hammering the nail into the bottom of the bucket, pull the nail back out and then hammer more holes around the bottom.

Plant containers with thrillers, spillers, and fillers to create gorgeous impactful displays for maximum effect.

I use a flower garden theme almost yearly to create simple designs in all-white blooms with variegated foliage.

1. Rustic Wooden Wheelbarrow Planter

Vintage wooden wheelbarrows are the perfect decor in the rustic garden. Simple, rustic, and full of patina, they add a rustic antique feel to any garden.

Wheelbarrows are significant assets in the garden as they help to add prominence to a rustic landscape.

Instead of filling the wheelbarrow with soil and flowers, set a container inside it, and then fill it with your favorite flowers, such as shade Impatiens or hostas!

2. Metal Wheelbarrow Planter

This old metal green wheelbarrow was a win at a local auction. It has been given a second life in the flower garden, serving as a rustic garden planter.

Filled with Dracena Spike, Sun Patients, Geraniums, and Licorice, this garden wheelbarrow is a beautiful, charming planter with its faded green paint, rusty handle, and old wheels.

3. Galvanized Planters

For a rustic country look, galvanized tubs or troughs make lovely garden planters. They can be found in various shapes, sizes, styles, and heights.

Just ensure that holes are drilled in the bottom of the container to provide water drainage.

This galvanized tub becomes a beautiful rustic garden decor planter with white Phlox, surrounded by a Weeping Pussywillow Tree and Wee White Hydrangeas.

Another simple idea is an old round galvanized bucket filled with white Impatiens.

4. Wash Tub Planters on Stands

Use an antique galvanized wash tub planter with a stand in the landscape to create a dazzling flowering display.

Creating a unique container gardening idea, old wash tubs can be packed with annuals or perennials such as hostas, forming a brilliant season-long vivid arrangement.

Old antique wash tubs with stands are often found at flea markets but can be very costly.

Purchasing new replicas is a more affordable option, and with time, they will wear and add rustic patina to the flower garden.

5. Wash Tub Planters Round or Square

As a gardener, always look for old wash tubs, in either round or square size. The price for one is generally reasonable, and it seems they can be found quite often at flea markets and antique shops.

Galvanized wash tubs were built to last; therefore, they are the perfect option for leaving outside year-round.

Many of the wash tub planters I have are very old and still in great shape, as they don’t rust since zinc was applied to the metal surface.

6. Old Kitchen Sink Planters

Old cast iron sinks can be used in a rustic garden as a beautiful flower planters. Many already have drainage holes, so all that is needed is soil and plants.

It is best to plant annuals in shallow containers, like sinks, as there is no space for the roots to spread and grow year after year.

7. Old Barrel Planters

Whisky barrel planters can serve as the highlight of a rustic garden. Used for a dramatic centerpiece for a garden or tucked in the back to add different levels of visual height, they can be filled with a lovely mass planting of white flowers.

There are half-barrel planters and then the full size, as shown below.

If using a full-size barrel, tip a 5-gallon bucket upside down inside the barrel. Then, place a plastic garden container filled with flowers on top of the bucket. This allows new flowers to be planted each year and keeps the barrel easy to move if needed.

Rustic Backyard Landscaping Design Ideas

A garden shed or potting shed plays a key part in landscaping a rustic garden area. The country-style garden shed has become a focal point for storing garden tools, plant supplies, beekeeping tools, or taking a break on hot summer days.

My country garden shed sits tucked under several old tall trees, offering a garden retreat to wind down after a long day.

Here, I can work, enjoy a cup of coffee, watch the sunrise or sunset, and enjoy the seating area on the porch with the children.

Rustic Garden Decor Ideas for Small Outdoor Space

You can create the perfect spot for rustic gardening in small spaces with some imagination.

While you may not have the outside area for large wheelbarrows or galvanized washtubs, you can use various other architectural features.

Metal Bed Frame

Next to the raised vegetable garden beds in our backyard is a small area where I have used a metal bed frame.

The frame is pushed into the ground, with Hollyhocks growing in front of it.

Another great idea would be to grow a trellising perennial such as a Clematis on the metal bed frame. Using tall vintage decorative elements is the perfect way to garden in small spaces.

Small Galvanized Buckets

Planting flowers in smaller galvanized metal buckets can also create a beautiful rustic flower garden in a small front yard or on a porch.

The porch space on my small garden shed has very little room for flowers. However, it is the perfect spot for a few rusty old galvanized buckets, perfect for rustic decor in a small space near the front door.

Rustic container gardening is a splendid idea, particularly for those with a small space but want to make a charming display with colorful flowers using different plants.

In the example below, I chose to use white Impatiens in a grouping with another old metal bucket and a watering can.

Window Boxes

Need a little more flower gardening space? Try going vertical and adding a DIY window box below your home or shed window.

I made a simple window box using Cedar that will last for years to come without causing any damage to the wood on the building.

Perfect for simple annuals, like Impatiens, a window box provides color and texture without occupying space in a small yard or flower bed.

Small Wooden Step Ladder

Another beautiful vertical garden idea is to use a small wooden step ladder. Add plants in containers to the steps of the old ladder to create a visual appeal of flowers at different levels to create a rustic design style.

Rustic Gardens Decor and Essentials

this post contains affiliate links; this means that I make a tiny commission off any purchase that you may make. this small commission helps keep Rocky Hedge Farm going at no additional cost to you. please see my disclosure policy for more information.

• Twin Wash Tub Stand with Drains
• Small Wagon Decorative Garden Planter
• Authentic Kentucky Bourbon/Whiskey Barrel
• Metal Planters on Stands
• Weed Barrier Paper
• Watering Can

Thank you for taking the time to stop by Rocky Hedge Farm today. Although hard work is involved in creating a rustic garden, I hope this post has given you some creative ideas and inspiration to make your rustic garden haven.