Tips for Landscaping and Setting Up Your Bird Bath

Adding a bird bath to a garden area creates a decorative feature while promoting conservation of wild birds and other wild creatures. Bird baths create a water source for birds and other wild visitors to a garden. Knowing how to landscape around a bird bath can help you safely provide for visiting birds while creating a beautiful display in your garden.

Proper Location for a Bird Bath
A spot near trees and bushes is ideal for your bird bath. This location will make it more accessible to the wild birds that will visit and make use of the feature. Placing the bird bath in a sunny location gives you a large variety of plant possibilities around the bird bath but an area that receives a combination of sun and partial shade throughout the day would be an ideal choice.

A Foundation for Your Bird Bath
A paving stone is a good choice to set the bird bath on. Placing your bird bath on a paving stone will provide stability and a flat surface as well as block out some of the weeds directly against the base of the bird bath.

Create a Pathway Around the Bird Bath
By creating a pathway around your bird bath, you will be able to get close for cleaning and regular maintenance. Arrange paving stones around the bird bath and if you prefer the stones to be level with the ground, dig out a shallow indention in the shape of each stone. Level the dirt and place the paver in the spot. Add more dirt to make the stone level.

Planting Around the Bird Bath
In order to deter predators that will be looking at your visiting birds as tasty snacks (domestic cats are the biggest predator in my yard), keep a clear area of about 10 feet in diameter around the bird bath. This open area allows birds to make use of the water without predators being able to sneak up on them.

Add some of your favorite plants to provide food and shelter for the wild birds. Some of my favorites are sunflowers and lilac bushes. Sunflowers will provide seeds and lilac bushes will provide shelter. Choose appropriate plants for the sun exposure near your bird bath.

Provide Feeding Stations Around the Bird Bath
Tall shepherd hooks can be placed to hang bird feeders in the area but still position them away from the bird bath. Do not place bird feeders close enough for dropped seeds to fall into your bird bath or you will be spending extra time cleaning it out. It is best to create a combination of feeding stations at various heights for the many birds that may visit - hummingbirds, goldfinches, cardinals, and more.

Hang suet feeders, platform feeders, hummingbird feeders and other types of feeding stations to attract wild bird to the area of your bird bath.

Create a Spot for You to Watch the Birds that Visit Your Bird Bath
A bench or seat of some type should be placed at least 10 to 20 feet away from your bird bath. This distance will allow you to watch the birds visiting your bird bath without scaring them away. I have a garden swing that I sit in to watch the critters that visit my wildlife garden. Listening to the birds is a favorite summer pastime and I look forward to it daily.

Miscellaneous Needs for a Bird Bath
A rock placed in the center of your bird bath will give the birds something to perch on while they drink or bathe. Be sure the water level in your bird bath is never more than two inches deep and never add any chemicals to the water.

For tips on cleaning and maintaining your bird bath, see Cleaning and Maintenance of Bird Baths.