Ditch Traditional Bird Baths & Add A Rustic Touch To Your Yard With A Home Depot Find

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Nature lovers know that a bird bath is a must if you'd like to attract a diverse variety of feathered visitors to your yard. While nearly any bird bath can do the job, not all of them can do it in style. Sure, there are tons of ways to make a charming DIY bird bath using upcycled bowls and pots, but if you're looking to invest in something new, plenty of store-bought options offer a stylish edge. There's one in particular that would add a true old-school touch to your yard, and you can find it at Home Depot. Pick up this 24 in. Tall Outdoor Antique Ceramic Bird Bath, which retails for $56,22. It's a stunning white ceramic pedestalled bird bath with sculptural bird figures on the side of the bowl, and painted brown details to give it an aged, weathered look. The bird bath also comes in a dark red and a teal blue version, though those cost closer to $90 each. 

This type of bird bath has the benefit of being especially pretty, with a rustic ceramic style that's reminiscent of countryside cottages. It's elegant and has a maximum bowl depth of 2.85 inches, which is perfect for most backyard birds to use. It measures 24 inches in height, so it is on the shorter end of standard bird baths, but it will still appeal to many bird species. The pedestal base of the bird bath is described as sturdy, and the whole unit weighs almost 18 pounds. This should help prevent it from toppling over, but it's worth noting that ceramic is more fragile than metal, stone, or concrete, so a fall could cause this bird bath to chip more easily than some others on the market. 

While this is a stunning bird bath, there are some things to keep in mind if you want to enjoy it in your garden for years to come. Most importantly, ceramic is a material that can easily break when exposed to extreme temperatures. Freezing and thawing cycles can cause ceramic to expand, then crack and crumble when the weather warms. Unfortunately, according to some reviews on Home Depot's website, this particular bird bath model isn't immune to such damage. As soon as temperatures dropped, several customers said their bird bath fell apart, especially around the edges of the bowl. 

If you live in a warm region where cold winters aren't an issue, this bird bath should be fine in your yard. But through frosty winters, you'll need to bring this ceramic bid bath into a warm shelter. However, it can still be used it as a decorative plant stand in your garage or greenhouse! If you're not keen on relocating the bird bath every few months, the best bird baths to use during winter have materials that tolerate the cold, like metal, resin, or plastic.

Finally, there's something that's true with all bird baths: they need to be cleaned thoroughly and often. At least once a week, you'll need to dump all of the water from the bowl before brushing it with water and vinegar to kill bacteria and algae. On the plus side, washing the smooth ceramic should be a breeze. However, this bird bath doesn't appear to have a plug for easy drainage, so you might need to tip it over when dumping. Ceramic isn't as heavy as concrete or stone, but since it's fragile, be sure to tip it over a soft patch of grass.