Surround your built-in birdbath
with bird-friendly plants.

Build a Handmade Birdbath

This special handmade birdbath belongs nestled in a flower bed where admirers will never know that it was so easy to make. You don't need a fancy mold to fashion the 18- to 20-inch basin. You can even use a cardboard box instead of the ground, as long as the box is at least 4 inches wider than the basin's width. Fill it 10 inches deep with soil; then scoop a basin shape in the soil.

• Hoe or shovel
• Protective gear -- rubber gloves, safety glasses, dust mask
• Spray bottle and water
• 3 gallons premixed concrete
• Peat moss
• Crushed, colored, recycled glass
• Rock specimens
• Sheet of plastic

Step 1.

1. Dig and shape a hole in the ground (or in a cardboard box filled with 10 inches of soil) as a mold. Sprinkle the shape with water and pack down the soil firmly. Tamp a flat area in the center so the finished basin will sit securely on a flat surface.

Step 2.

2. Wear protective gear. Combine 3 gallons of premixed concrete with 2 to 3 cups of peat moss in a wheelbarrow. Add about 2 gallons of water and quickly mix with a hoe to make a stiff batter. If it is too thin, add more concrete; if too thick to hold together, add water.

Step 3.

3. Work quickly, concrete starts to set in minutes. Shovel the wet mix into the mold. Scoop concrete from the center of the basin to the outside rim. Pat it into place, conforming it to the shape of the basin. Pat smooth. Spritz with water to keep concrete moist.

Step 4.

4. Decorate the basin by sprinkling crushed, recycled glass on the wet mix; press gently into place. You also can use other decorative pieces such as stones. Cover the basin with a plastic sheet; let cure for 3 to 7 days. Uncover; let age for 1 month before filling with water.