For many years this fire bucket sat in the corner of my studio and was used as a wastepaper bin. There are so many familiar household objects that can be repurposed once you’re on the look out for them. I like both the solidity of the bucket’s construction and the fine detail of the handles, but it was really the soft, burnt-red tone of the peeling paint that was most interesting to play with.
How to achieve the look
Container and composition
I drilled holes in the bottom of the fire bucket using a large, masonry drill bit. I then lined the base with some sheep wool to help contain the compost and to stop water from draining away too quickly. You could also use a piece of old blanket or woollen jumper. The plants all like a damp soil and the planter is quite small, so retaining moisture is important. Choosing plants that naturally thrive in conditions such as a damp meadow or stream side creates a more natural-looking composition. I chose the astilbe and geum because they both pick up the red tone of the bucket. The buds of the trollius, a member of the buttercup family, are also flushed red.
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Cultivation and care
These moisture-loving plants won’t thrive if they dry out so it’s important to place the container somewhere it won’t get forgotten, ideally on a route you frequently use and near a tap or water butt. I often leave an old galvanised watering can alongside my groups of containers to make it even easier to water as I’m passing. You could also add a seaweed or nettle-and-comfrey feed once a fortnight. Remove any spent flower stems or tired foliage to keep the display looking fresh. If you wanted to create a more subtle arrangement you could leave out the trollius or perhaps replace it with a red astrantia such as Astrantia ‘Hadspen Blood’ or Astrantia major ‘Claret’.
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Plants used
Trollius x cultorum ‘Taleggio’
Translucent, pale-yellow flowers are held in a bowl shape, erect above the foliage.
60cm. RHS H7.
Astilbe ‘Fanal’
Foliage is tinged bronze when it emerges, followed by deep-red flower plumes.
60cm. AGM*. RHS H7, USDA 3a-8b.
Osmunda regalis
Large, architectural fronds, with unusual, chocolate-brown, spore-bearing pinnae at the tips.
2.5m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 3a-9b.
Geum rivale
Native to damp meadows and stream sides. Duskypink, nodding flowers are held on deep-red stems. Flowers May to July.
30cm. RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b.
Find out more about Alison and Damson Farm at alisonjenkins.co.uk
