Go for it! My DH wants a hot tub and I wouldn't use it, but I told him that I'd agree to exactly what you want -- a clawfoot tub! Very romantic. Not weird -- unless your neighbors have a view! :-)

I don't know how the tubs hold up outside for human use, but I think they are pretty durable (I've seen a lot of them used as horse watering troughs out in the country).

Cameron

It's pretty weird.

I'd do it in a shot. I think "Cowboy Hottubs " are great.

One person's weird is another person's joy. : ) I think it would be lovely to bath among beautiful flowers. Personally, I'd make the area a bit private, maybe surround the more public sides, if any, with some lattice panels and climbing roses & clems. The I'd have pots of scented herbs and plants I love near the tub, a basket or small table with a few fluffy towels and my favorite gardening magazines, a nice cool drink and a few bites of dark chocolate.

Hmmm . . . wonder if I could sneak {{gwi:671578}} outside . . . ; )

Diana

I've seen metal horse/cattle troughs used as hot tubs. They have one shaped like an indoor tub but you would probably need a back pillow to make it comfortable.

I'd go for the tub, as long as it can't be seen from a main road or neighbors house. Sounds great. :)

I think it's a great idea, go for it. A long soak, on a lovely summer night under the stars. The scents of the garden drifting on a gentle summer breeze. A few candles, maybe a glass of wine. The stillness of the night broken by the sound of crickets in the distance. Oh, the scent of that honeysuckle, the Jasmine, the Roses..........A little bit of heaven I think so.

A......

I have a beautiful photo from a magazine of an outdoor shower into a lovely old tub. The tub is used by adults and childen in the home for bathing. The setting is gorgeous, and the whole thing is lovely.

We are planning an outdoor bathroom in the future for "years from now". To be able to shower directly in a warm rain would be lovely, but you need a little privacy! How cute it could all look.

I also want to use a tub for a grotto, and a tub for a water feature at some point. You can get size 4 claw foot tubs, they are the smallest. I am 6'2" and can not fit into ours so nicely - so that is something to think about!

GGG

Guess I've been to the ocean and lakes where almost every house has an outdoor shower with a wooden screen (head and feet show) around it for privacy. You shower down and change out of your wet swimsuit into dry clothes. So, it doesn't sound weird to me to have a bathtub out in a garden as long as it's private.

We used to camp on Ocracoke Island off the NC coast. The campground shower was like that and people were standing in line having conversations with you while you showered! I'm tall, so I felt obligated to keep my knees bent to make myself shorter. :-)

I think it's a perfect idea. We had an outdoor shower in a garden accessible via sliding glass doors from the bathroom or from the back garden. It had hot and cold water. We used it for a refreshing shower after mowing the lawn or gardening, or sometimes on a warm evening by the light of the moon just for the romance of it. Ahh, some Moulton Brown shower gel, a few fluffy white towels, and heavennnnnly. I never slept better than after one of those evening showers. Of course, you do have to be careful with whom you discuss this. I brought up the subject of an outside shower with our builder when we moved here, but seeing the look on his face made me stop in my tracks. Where I saw romance and luxury, I think he saw a return to the days before indoor plumbing.

I lived in a house that had one. Although it was kind of weird there was nothing better than to lay out there in a hot tub, especially in the fall, and stare at the stars. This one had a small deck build around it so it was actually sunk into a deck so you didn't see the sides. It was wonderful.

I'd go for it! I grew up going to the Jersey Shore, and every house in our little beach had an outdoor shower. You showered in your bathing suit, unless you were ingenious like our neighbors and could hook up a curtain!

Use plant friendly soap and you could just let it drain off into the flower beds. It would be so lovely, especially in a night blooming garden. Moonflowers on a trellis, jasmine, white roses.....ooooooooooooo!

That is so funny that you mention this in a post. Two nights ago the girls were out helping me and got into the mud. Both were covered in mud from head to toe, and had to have DH help me carry them in. I gave them a bath in the tub in the house but afterwards you should have seen the dirty tub.

I have sworn for several years that I was going to get a tub to put into the yard to wash the girls up after gardening instead of taking them inside and making a mess there. Plus I know there are times when I am so hot and sticky, just a place to rinse off my arms and legs would be welcome. So I have put everyone on the hunt for a new bathtub to put out in our fenced backyard for summer baths for the girls.

When Rhiannon was a baby we would bring out baby soap and give her a bath in the wading pool outside.

Stacie

I have a clawfoot sitting out in the yard (behind the garage) that has been there for years. It's still in good shape. So yours should be fine. I would think you would need have a way to drain the pipes to it in winter to keep them from breaking.

I think it's a great idea! My gradparents had a barrel up on a stand that they filled from the windmill and let the sun heat during the day. Yep, that's where we showered. They never had indoor plumbing.

Hmmm, Maybe I could set up something similar and make use of my tub. I'd still want some privacy around it, you never know when some neighbor is going to pull in the yard lol. Thanks for the idea!

MeMo

Ha! Just mentioned it to DH and before I finished telling him...he said, that used to be an outside shower with a barrel above it. Well, don't have to beg to hard for that one! LOL

wigardenerwannabe, you describe my idea of the perfect hot tub. I gotta place all ready chosen for it when we can actually put one in!

When we were kids, my Dad was in charge of my de-mudding. He used to drag me into the garage and hose me down, then dump the less muddy clothes in the washer, and me in the old wash bucket. We'd just hose out the garage afterwards.
I was a mud puppy!

GGG

I do have to chuckle how some of us remember the day when indoor plumbing was just the basics. There was one bathroom and it was shared by everyone in the house, which often was a multi-generational mix. The indoor bathroom has become so luxurious that the mere mention of an outdoor shower or bath (unless you call it a spa or a hotub) is considered weird. I love the de-mudding in the garage that could be hosed clean afterward, and the clothes thrown right in the washer, saving mom the extra work. Makes me smile. Geez, you people are great.

We called it the poor man's hot tub. I do remember that we did have to clear out the daddy long legs before taking our soak! We just drained it with a hose out away from the house and it was never a problem.

A lady at the Antique Roses forum (Roz? Rozilla?) has done this and has posted gorgeous photos of the project. They should be in the archives somewhere, 2004 or 2005, I think. I also love the outside tub idea. Good luck. :)

I was certain I'd seen this described somewhere as a 'garden folly' -- and I found the article.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Folly included in this plan

Well, my husband has said no to the idea of a clawfoot tub in our yard. He thinks of it the same as the the old toilets people put in the yard. He is willing to consider the outdoor shower concept though so I might work with that.

I'm going to recommend the tub idea to my parents who live out in the country so I can get my bath under the stars fix at their house.

Rozanna is on the antique roses forum, is that whom you are speaking of dear Tenderheart? I must see those photos!! DH says a bathtub in the garden, a shower near by AND a hot tub are in order except that a hot tub uses chemicals and is hard to fill naturally. So we may pass that one by in favor for a pool that has a self cleaning system of sand, rocks and plants. Goodness me! I'd never have to clean the bathroom then :)

GGG

My first husband's family were plumbers. They had a lot of old claw tubs sitting in the back of the yard in the 60's. They could not get rid of them. They had been there for 20 or 30 years.

Some junk yard is probably getting a small fortune for them today.

I am of the opinion it would do fine. If the finish got damaged you could have it resurfaced.

GGG...thanks for the correct name. I searched for the pics that TH mentioned the other night and came up blank. I'll go looking again with the name Rozanna.

EKS...too bad. I think it's a great idea. Too bad there aren't more inspiration pictures to show him. A picture says a thousand words.

MeMo

Well...I didn't find THE thread but I did find THE gardener lol. They are currently having a second discussion on clawfoot garden tubs.

Lookee here...

MeMo

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Tubs in the Rose Garden Forum

I ended up with my Grandma's large rolled edge, cast iron, clawfoot tub when her house was remodelled and then sold. As we were still renting, I didn't want to install it in anyone's house but mine. For several years, it sat in the side yard, hidden from the road by Larkspur, Mockorange and Althea. We didn't have it plumbed, but used it on blistering hot days as a deep soaking pool. It was heavenly; just big enough for three kids or two adults. When we finally bought our own farm, and we remodelled the bathroom (3 times bigger) just to give it plenty of room. If you're going to put a regular bathtub outside, my advice would be to set it out away from trees, especially nut trees like pecans, as the leaves will stain the enamel (takes some serious scrubbing with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda).

I have plans to add a second rolled edge cast iron tub out in the yard; but this time, I'd like one with the solid ring around the bottom. Because it was so cool, the animals also liked to lie up under it; great if you're talking about dogs and cats, not so nice when it's spiders and snakes.

and for your viewing pleasure here is mine at my place in Texas.

In the winter I ran a hose from the drain on the hot water heater and filled it - in the summer I just enjoyed the water the temp it came out of the tap

{{gwi:252877}}

{{gwi:252873}}

rozanna, those are the exact photos I remember from that old thread. Thank you for posting here at the Cottage. :)

not a problem - can't wait to get the one for the yard here in Denver when I go to Texas next month.

Rozanna, thanks so much for the pictures. Wishing you well in Denver. A great city in a beautiful setting. Please drop in to the cottage again.

MeMo

I was doing cottage before I knew there was a name for it. Planted about 50 roses here and waiting for a ton of perennials to arrive to plant next. All the wonderful things that I can grow in Denver that wouldn't grow in Texas. Of course I am pinning for my warm loving roses - the teas and chinas and noisettes but I will make do with what likes the cold - a whole new learning experience. Life is to be lived; loved; learned from. Never stop any of those three things.

i sunk a claw foot tub in my yard and gold fish are using it to bath in. the same two have been in it for 3 yrs. we've had a hot tub on the back patio for six yrs never used it. hubby can't seem to get around to hooking it up. it was free! we just need a round cover.

Here's a thought, if you can't have a bathtub in the garden, for the more adventure...ish, check it out.

A......

Here is a link that might be useful: A tubbing we will go...

A...what a HOOT! Geez no wonder those old tubs are getting harder and harder to come by. Who'd a thunk?!! I still think a hot "Tub" is a great idea!

MeMo

might I suggest a traditional wooden, japanese ofuro? My god they are gorgeous...they're designed to be filled to the very top with warm water and then you step in and soak. They're only one or two people big and traditionally were placed in beautiful gardens to reflect upon while soaking.

Personally, I think american hot-tubs are a total bastardization - forgive the term - of the concept and I really hope to be able to have the space and privacy to install one myself one day.

{{gwi:671580}}

no association with the link, just found them while searching for an image... ;-p

You may want to try this one.

Here is a link that might be useful: Shower Panel