Bye, Basic Bird Baths: The Find From Lowe's That Gives Feathered Friends A Stylish Space To Rest

Any bird lover knows, in order to attract a more diverse variety of birds to your yard, you need a bird bath. Sure, bird feeders are great, but our feathered friends also need water to wash themselves, drink, and cool off. If you don't want to sacrifice your outdoor decor for the sake of wildlife, you don't have to. There's one stylish option from Lowe's that can make you forget all about basic bird baths: the Style Selections Brown Polypropylene Complete Birdbath, which retails for $49.98. 

This bird bath is unique because it looks like a stone cylinder, which is a nice departure from basic bird baths with pedestals. It's made from polypropylene, a type of plastic used in outdoor furniture pieces, but appears as ridged stone. It measures 20 inches in height and 14 inches in diameter. While this bird bath weighs less than five pounds, the base can be filled with sand to weigh it down to avoid it toppling over, even if it gets windy. In order to do that, there's a small twist cap on the bottom, so you'll need to flip it upside down to fill before use. As for sand, you can grab a bag from Lowe's for $4.

The bird bath basin is small and shallow and doesn't have a perch inside for birds to use, though they can stand on the edges. While this means small birds can roll around and clean their feathers safely, it also makes styling more complicated: There isn't much depth to add something like a solar fountain, which helps avoid stagnant water. 

The Style Selections bird bath model gives you options that depart from traditional, Victorian-style bird baths. It's also more stylish than many DIY bird baths made from bowls, pots, and pans. Instead, this can look great next to statues that have a similar white-gray tint, whether real or faux stone. For example, place it near a Glitzhome Guardian Sitting Lion or Toscano Classical European Style Wall Niche (both from Amazon).

If you're on a budget or like muted designs, create a European-style garden with plants and flowers. Surround the bird bath with lavender, rosemary, olive trees, and thyme. When decorated with a wild, meadow-inspired style, those trees and bushy plants will transport you to Spain, the South of France, or Italy. You can also use faux stone pots that look similar to the bird bath, like these Worth Tall Planters in white from Amazon.

However, don't completely surround the bird bath with plants, because you'll need to clean it several times a week. Failing to clean bird baths can have devastating health impacts on the birds that use it, so this isn't optional. When it's hot out, bird baths should be cleaned daily (at the very least, every other day) to prevent bacterial and algae growth from taking over. In cooler months, you can spread cleanings to once a week or every other week. Having a fountain in the bird bath also has benefits, though it won't let you skip washing duties. While this particular model is a bit shallow for one, you can use a water agitator to help create some of that movement birds find so appealing.