I was thinking of counter-sinking bucket in ground to help keep soil cool and bucket out of sight.
I’m guessing rocks in bottom of hole will help drainage.
Any other things I might do or does a bucket on surface of ground work better?
Most people don’t find it necessary to bury their outdoor containers. It may make it harder for air to mix with the soil and this is very important to the roots. It would seem just providing shade to the bucket/container would be best to keep the bucket’s soil cool.
Did I tell you about the fabric bags people are growing in now? This lets air into the soil from all sides, this may dry out quicker if you don’t have good water retaining properties amended into your soil along with the usual amendments for good drainage and aeration of the soil. These bags do wonders for root development and large healthy plants.