Galvanised Water Troughs

Description

A piece of working farm heritage that looks just as at home in a garden as it does in a field. The Galvanised Water Trough is built for purpose — heavy-gauge galvanised steel, solid construction, and the kind of honest, industrial durability that outlasts almost everything else in the garden. Originally designed for livestock, these troughs have found an equally devoted following as planters, water features, and statement garden pieces  and it’s easy to understand why. The galvanised finish, the clean rectangular lines, and the sheer solidity of the thing give any garden setting an instant, considered quality that few purpose-built planters can replicate.

Built to work on a farm. Born to make a garden.

Why we love it
– Heavy-gauge galvanised steel construction — built for decades of outdoor use in all conditions
– A dual-purpose piece that works as beautifully in the garden as on the farm
– Available in two sizes — a manageable 2ft and a statement-making 8ft
– Deep enough for serious planting — trees, shrubs, vegetables, herbs, or perennials
– The galvanised finish weathers beautifully over time, developing a characterful patina
– No plastic, no rot, no compromise — materials that last

Specification
– Material: Galvanised steel

Available Sizes
– 2ft: 625mm (L) x 435mm (W) x 410mm (H) — holds 90 litres
– 8ft: 2500mm (L) x 435mm (W) x 410mm (H) — holds 395 litres

Size Options

2ft – 90 litres — A compact, versatile trough that works on a terrace, beside a doorway, or as part of a kitchen garden setup. Deep enough for productive vegetable and herb growing, manageable enough to position and reposition as the garden evolves. An excellent starting point for those new to trough planting.

8ft – 395 litres — A proper statement piece. At 2.5 metres, this trough commands attention and has the volume for serious planting — specimen shrubs, mixed borders in miniature, or a full run of vegetables and cutting flowers. Ideal for large terraces, courtyards, and kitchen gardens where scale and presence are part of the design intention.

Best for
– Patio, terrace, and courtyard planting where ground planting is not possible
– Kitchen gardens, vegetable growing, and herb gardens
– Specimen shrubs, ornamental grasses, and statement planting
– Water features and wildlife pond installations
– Contemporary, industrial, and farmhouse-style garden schemes
– Livestock watering — their original purpose, delivered without compromise

What makes this product special
The trough has the quality that most purpose-built garden planters spend their design budgets trying to achieve and rarely quite reach, it looks authentic because it is authentic. The galvanised finish is not decorative but functional, the dimensions are not designed for aesthetics but for practical capacity, and the result is a planter that brings a sense of working provenance and honest materiality to a garden setting that no resin imitation can replicate. The depth of both sizes allows for serious root run — this is not a shallow decorative container but a planter in which plants can genuinely thrive.

Caragh’s Garden Notebook
Galvanised troughs are one of those garden finds that look as though they were always there — and the older they get, the better they look. Before planting, drill drainage holes in the base if using for plants rather than water, line with landscape fabric to retain compost while allowing drainage, and use a quality loam-based compost with added grit for most plantings. The 2ft is perfect for a run of herbs outside the kitchen door — thyme, rosemary, chives, and a compact sage will be happy and productive for years. The 8ft is the one to choose if you want to grow vegetables on a paved terrace or create a long, linear planting of grasses and perennials that brings movement and seasonal interest to a courtyard. Either way, they only get more beautiful with time.