How about building a replica of an old outhouse and place the old toilet in it. Also you could plant a vine or two to grow over the outhouse. It would create a great converstaion piece.

I love your idea for using the old toilet for a planter.

ROTFLMAO!!! Do you live in a neighborhood with restrictive covenants? You could put a homemade sign next to it with a crude arrow pointing to the commode that says 'Flower Pot'!
If your neighbors have a sense of humor, I think it'd be a great idea - if you've got spoil sport neighbors, then I wouldn't.
If you do it, please take a picture and post it here!
Hehehe! I've seen old beds planted with flowers, you know, a 'flower bed' and trailing lantana coming out of old rusty wheel barrows, but never a commode! Hehehe!
MissSherry

I think it sounds like a FAB idea!

MissSherry has some great suggestions... :)

Haha. Well since I have way too many "projects" to do already, I'm afraid the outhouse is a bit ambitious for me at this point. But maybe one day I'll be able to do that! I do like the idea - especially with the vines growing around it! It would look fantastic next to my shed!

MissSherry - Hehe. No, I live in an pretty cool community. It's one of those old beach communities that people never seem to leave once they come here. We have no restrictions whatsoever. :) My neighbors are nice. They're a bit older, but they definitely have a sense of humor. (The wife was asking me one day "What do you have in that cage?" I told her caterpillars and she looked at me like I was nuts. But when she saw me releasing the butterflies it was like a light bulb went off. I even heard her telling another neighbor how "Neat" it was! Haha) I think they'd probably be ok with it. Especially if it's not just "there" ya know? THAT I could understand. I mean who wants to look at an old toilet just randomly in someone's yard? Haha. I think with a clump of native grass or a trellis behind it and some pretty plants flowing OUT of it, it would be just enough. I LOVE the "Flower Pot" sign idea!!!!! If I do a trellis, I could attach the sign TO the trellis and have some flowering vine growing around the sign! I might just do that! And I PROMISE to post pictures when I get it all planted and it's in bloom!

Thanks for the encouragement everyone! :) I knew I couldn't be the only one who thought it would be fun!!

Lisa,

Great idea for garden art. Why not ask your neighbor just to be safe, maybe even give your ideas for plants growing out of it. If you're right about their sense of humor, they'll say yes and you won't have to worry about them. We've done similar things in our butterfly sanctuary and we don't have to worry about neighbors because none of them have a view into our garden. We have a sink in a tree stump with coleus, two bicycles supporting trumpet vines, and an elliptical exercise machine helping support another trumpet vine. Many visitors love the "garden art."

mike

Hi Mike. :)

I thought of asking them, but they're such nice people that I'm pretty sure they'd say yes even if they didn't like the idea - and it would just make it awkward. Haha.

I think your garden art sounds fantastic!!! I seriously need to find time to make it over to your neck of the woods and visit Camelot. :)

Toilets have long been a favorite garden planter! I wouldn't do it in my own yard, but I sure wouldn't mind looking at a nicely planted toilet in my neighbor's!

I agree that you should sort of nestle it in as 'part' of the garden, sort of a funny surprise!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:476391}}

Dorie, that is a long line of commodes! Wonder if they are related? LOL!

Susan

LOL at that photo!!!!!! How DO you find these things.

I agree with a) asking the neighbors and/or b) just overplanting it so much that it will take a second to realize what it is.

Before we moved in to this house legend has it there used to be raging block parties every summer - one year they raffled off a "prize" - somebody's discarded toilet! It became the annual raffle prize and apparently was used as a "Flower Pot" as well, planted in full view of the entire neighborhood (a public toilet - er, garden??) as a proud trophy from the party.

You MUST take photos if you go ahead with your plantings. We'll be waiting!

Sandy :)

The neighbors on the corner planted 2 toilets in their garden. At first, they looked real tacky, but after the plants got bigger, they were great! The people have moved out, but the toilets are still there. I'll see if I can get a picture and post it.

Janet

I once lived in a town that had a row of commodes across the front of the lot of a bar/resturant. They had some petunias planted in them the best I remember. It was in the midwest.