Goodbye Traditional Bird Baths: A Rustic Lowe's Find That Doubles As Beautiful Décor

For many gardeners, their garden isn't complete without a few birds exploring the carefully tended landscape. Bird feeders can help attract feathered friends, but if no birds are visiting, you may be missing something crucial: a bird bath. Providing a bird bath offers birds a water source they need not just for drinking, but for keeping their feathers clean and flying properly. A bird bath like the Alpine Corporation 35-Inch Complete Bird Bath goes beyond many standard basin designs by providing three tiers of splashing opportunities, plus a cascading fountain. Note that moving water can help deter mosquitoes, and birds are more likely to notice and visit a flowing water source.

The Alpine Corporation bird bath is made from weather-resistant resin in the style of a vintage metal fountain with a green patina. At time of writing, it's available for $53.98 and has a 4-star rating with 65 reviews. While reviewers are generally happy with the fountain's appearance and relaxing sound, several expressed frustration with the plastic composition, noting that it was difficult to get the fountain level.

Users should also carefully plan where they want to install this bird bath, as it requires a level base, as well as proximity to an electric outlet. If you plan to operate this fountain via an outdoor extension cord, make sure it's plugged into a GFCI-protected outlet and remember to unplug it whenever you mow the lawn if the cord runs across your grass.

In nature, birds often visit puddles or other shallow pools no deeper than 2 inches, so this bath's deep main basin may need some modifications to attract visitors. If you notice birds aren't showing much interest, consider adding a layer of gravel and some partly submerged sticks or larger stones to give birds a perch.

Depending on your local conditions, you may need to add water every other day, if not more frequently, to prevent the pump from running dry and breaking. Replacing the water also provides a good opportunity to clean the bird bath. Regular cleaning helps prevent algae and mosquitoes and protects birds from infectious diseases. Audubon recommends cleaning bird baths with a mixture of 9 parts water to 1 part vinegar. 

This bird bath comes with stakes to secure it into your yard, which reviewers strongly recommend using as it weighs less than 6 pounds and can easily tip over in windy conditions. Consider laying a few bricks or heavy stones on the fountain's base to help ensure it stays upright. Said one reviewer, who gave the product four stars, "They only include 2 metal anchors, 4 would have been nice, but I put a few landscaping rocks on the base, and it is very secure."

If you don't like the look of the extra weight, however, consider landscaping around the base. To attract even more birds, choose bird-friendly plants native to your region, like coneflower, asters, snowberry, or native ornamental grasses. Not only are they visually appealing to humans, they provide shelter for birds as well as seeds, berries, and caterpillars to eat.