I’m an avid gardener, and we own a small farm in western Washington. But I spend most of my days in my home office, which is in our basement.
It has everything I could possibly need for work, for sewing in my free time, or simply for watching Bridgerton in peace and quiet. I’m lucky to have it (and it does have one set of doors to the ground level), but it’s still an office … in the basement.
A few years ago I decided to give myself a change of scenery by starting a container garden on the patio just outside, with a little table I could work at on sunny days. I had a lot of ideas for flowers to draw in pollinators, herbs to use in my office lunches, colors and smells to relax my mind when my writing is stuck.
But first I needed pots—a lot of them. I built this garden just for me, on a budget, so I wanted gorgeous, dependable containers that wouldn’t break the bank. After a lot of trial and error, Behrens tubs became my go-tos. And though I use many different sizes in my garden (and, increasingly, all over our farm), my absolute favorites are the Behrens Galvanized Steel Bushel Basket and the Behrens 17-Gallon Multi-Purpose Steel Utility Tub.
Our pick
These big tubs have modern country vibes. They’re durable, they don’t overheat plants, and they can hold everything from wildflowers to rose bushes.
These simply styled tubs are bigger than the bushels, and they’re a little easier to find at local DIY stores. They make it easy to move larger garden dwellers (like small trees).
