Preparing the Bucket

• Punch two to three holes in the bottoms of the buckets for every 5 to 6 inches of bucket width. Place a sheet of window screening over the holes and slightly up the sides. Use a plastic liner in old buckets with disintegrated bottoms. Fill the buckets part-way with potting soil and add plants and soil, leaving at least 2 inches of soil between the bucket bottom and sides and the plant roots, and 2 inches between the soil top and bucket rim. As an alternative, punch holes in extra-large galvanized tubs, spread a layer of gravel in the bottom, and fill with nursery pots of flowers, changing the flowers with the seasons. Galvanized buckets heat quickly. In hot, dry climates line the buckets with a layer of damp sphagnum moss as an insulator. Provide a consistent water supply and protection from direct sun.
  
  

Annual Flowers

• Sun-loving annuals including petunias drape over the edges of the pots. One quart-sized plant in the million bells series of claibrachoa flowering plants fills a medium pot. Plant sweet alyssum, lobelia, vincas, marigolds and cockscomb plants in any combination of colors that please you. Shade-lovers include pansies, annual begonias and impatiens. Choose mixed plants with similar sun and water requirements. A variety including upright, bushy and spreading or trailing growers in several buckets or combined in large buckets creates an attractive display.
  
  

Perennials and Bulbs

• Perennials in their first year are suitable galvanized bucket container plants. Fill the buckets with miniature roses, various salvias, dianthus, phlox, gauras, coneflowers or yarrow for a patio display early in the season. Transplant the plants into the garden six weeks before the first expected frost. Protect plants held over in their buckets from winter freeze in cold climates. Plant out in the garden for the second year, replanting the buckets with fresh soil and plants. Previously chilled spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips, hyacinth and daffodils create charming temporary displays in galvanized buckets.
  
  

Acid-Loving Plants

• Acid-loving plants require a soil rich in organic matter and low pH levels. Such soil is potentially corrosive in galvanized buckets. Acid-loving plants include those in the heath family, gardenias, and rhododendrons and azaleas. Use the galvanized bucket for decorative purposes only for acid-loving plants. A plastic nursery pot placed in the galvanized bucket allows continuity of decor while protecting the bucket from eventual rust. Place a plastic saucer in the bottom of the bucket to protect it from drainage.