Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Copper laundry tub recycled

Ever used a washing machine like this one? When I was a student, I lived in a flat which had a pre-war laundry in the basement with a washing machine very much like this one.To use it, you would have had to light a wood stove to boil the water in the copper and then use a large stick to swirl the clothes around before sending them through a wringer to rinse. Nothing quite like the smell of boiling sheets, Lux flakes and the old 'blue bag' bleach. An olfactory memory from my childhood.
This summer I planted out one of these old laundry tubs with some annuals. Here are some photos.

Red Orach or Mountain spinach

Red Amaranth and Phlox 'Vegas Lights'

Grassy Lomandra 'Seascape'

Close-up of Phlox 'Vegas Lights' and Red Orach

Completed planting

Background garden planting of Gaura 'Whirling Butterflies'

3 comments:

  1. I remember laundries like this. Now the tubs come to good use.Beautifully planted in the hues of the old copper tub.
    We had a couple of tubs like this in the old farmhouse, I had them planted with annuals, when we moved out we left them there. I still have many old copper pans from the Ticino, special rice pans, now they are décor in my kitchen.

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  2. I see these around quite often in antique shops. I didnt realise they are laundry coppers.

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