That is a nice find. I think you may have a problem with it being too shallow to have any of the perennials overwinter. Depending on how deep it is I have found water clover to be tough although aggressive. It would form a mat but would fill in the area. Parrots feather would be leggy but I have it along the side of my pond and it takes the freezing. Water hawthorn likes the cold although if that freezes solid it may not make it and if it heats up in the summer it won't like that either. Once you get it set up you may want to try just some duck weed another aggressive plant but it's a floater and I've had it survive winter and even drying out. Hope that helps.

Water freezing in there could crack it.

tj

Freezing is definately a concern, but it looks like it has made it through many seasons. Do you know if was used and how they winterized it? Most likely with the slant of the bowl if it freezes solid there is room for the ice to move so may not be an issue. You are going to have to watch for that. Is the pump to be contained in the middle round structure or is there a hose that goes through to underneath. I have a fountain where the water reservoir is below ground so I do not need to pull out the pump every year unless it cloggs up. I do turn off the pump for the winter though. If the pump is above ground you will have to pull it out for the winter or it would freeze. Without seeing this or knowing how you plan to install it leaves questions, but I think you have a really nice fountain even if you only use it for the summer and filling it with plants just for the summer is fine also.

I think they just left it outside! We live in the same town, and I think it’s too much work to bring in in the winter, so I think they just left it

We (generally speaking, not me personally) cover ours for the winter after draining it. That is what I'd recommend doing unless you really don't care what happens to it.

The plants have to come out because of the draining/covering part. We have hardy water lilies that spend the winter in a baby pool in the basement. They could spend the winter outside in a natural pond, but that isn't what we are dealing with.

Is the water too shallow for water mint? Is water mint not a good idea?

No, it's not too shallow for water mint. But watermint is not particularly interesting to look at. You'd need to keep it constantly moist and keep it trimmed for neatness. I don't know how it would fare in winter in your climate or how the container would fare.

bog plants are in stagnant.. or mostly stagnant water..

many other water plants need the oxygen provided by moving water ...

its not deep enough for a pump to create moving water ...

you might want to get it off mother earth.. the bottom needs to stay dry.. especially during winter... either put it on gravel.. or on a 2 by 2 patio block or some such....

if it were mine.. i would empty it by october.. and protect it from rain so it completely dries.. prior to winter... wrapping it in plastic is not how it would be dried.. as you would be trapping moisture in.. not letting it out...

i would also place it.. so it is out of winter sun.. we dont need the usual winter freeze thaw cycles associated with warm winter days...

does you ground freeze???

ken

Bog plants also need oxygen. Very few plants will grow in anaerobic conditions ie stagnant.

Succulents do well in bird baths. I’ve considered planting in one of mine…maybe one day lol. Here are a couple pics/ideas from the web…

If it is too shallow for aquatic plants, it is certainly much too shallow to grow anything like a crape myrtle!! Sempervivums - hens and chicks - need very little soil and are incredibly cold hardy. They are your best bet.

I would love to have any of those planters with the succulents. Mine are not as elaborate but they do hold up even getting down into the teens and a few single digit temps over the winter. With yours being lower to the ground it should hold up. How cold do you usually get? The idea of having to wrap it or bring it in takes away from the fun of garden art. I agree with gardengal about the crape myrtle and think there is a large selection of succulents that are hardy enough to take the cold as long as they have good drainage.

Not a crape Myrtle inside it but beside it to contrast it

Also, do California poppies do good in bird baths?

" Not a crape Myrtle inside it but beside it to contrast it "

The birdbath is an impressive enough structure on its own that it needs nothing planted alongside to enhance it. In fact, planting a crape myrtle adjacent would just detract from both items.

" Also, do California poppies do good in bird baths? "

Highly unlikely. All poppies are tap rooted and tap rooted plants need more soil than the shallow birdbath can provide.

I’ll put them in the middle part then, which is much deeper

You'll need to make drainage holes.

There are holes in it already

I think crepe myrtles are pretty iffy here in z 8/9 but might be the lack of summer heat rather winter cold which limits it's UK success (although there have been breeding efforts to address this).

Californian poppies would probably grow in the planter but I personally don't really consider them as container plants as they tend to be a bit fleeting and unruly. I have plenty growing about the place in the ground though cos they are easy and cheerful. More a sort of wild garden, informal look than appropriate for the requirements of planters.

I’m trying to make it Mediterranean themed, I know California poppies are annuals where I live, so I’ll have to put something else in it’s place the year after

Grow the poppies around and about the place then and consider something a bit more mannerly for the planter. One of my favourite container plants is the white or lilac coloured bacopa - very long flowering with no effort. Or maybe cerinthe - super easy to grow from seed. Or some of the smaller shrubby salvias.