Advertisement

Brilliant birdbaths re-purposed

Broken or cracked bird bath?

There’s no reason not to continue using it..in your garden!  When you think about it,…broken or leaky bird baths, and  fountains, too, are merely pedestals to raise your garden to another level.  As you can see, Flea market Gardeners have held on to these so called broken pieces and upcycled them into something spectacular.  Here are some brilliant examples and a little about how to repurpose your old fountain or bird bath.

Bobbi Doll– “It’s been a great year for my sedum”

 

Barb Rosen “Our succulent birdbath”

 

How to repurpose a birdbath:

Barb Rosen, of  Our Fairfield Home & Garden, tells how she repurposed her birdbath.  “I used the leaky concrete birdbath left behind by the former owners of our home. Then I made a mix of roughly 2 parts compost to 1 part sand and mixed it well. A bucket full of this mix was smoothed into the basin. Small rocks and stones were added for support and drainage. I tried to build it up in the middle so there would be some height and the plants would cascade. 

Now the fun part: adding the plants! The tall Senecio took its spot on the top and the rest I tucked in and around the rocks, with some of the longer sedums draped a bit over the side to add interest. A trip down the street to my neighbor’s yard yielded some more good “filler” sedums and the rest I dug up from our front flower bed.”

I salvaged this broken solar fountain before a fairy garden workshop and it was sold immediately afterward!

The fountain already had a woodsy look and was a loss to the nursery at $70. retail.  Our cost was $30. and it sold for $35.!  It was a surprise to all of us as we meant it just fro example.  You can do this with any solar fountain, or any fountain and turn it into a garden.  This one has creeping thyme and tiny grass and violas.   ~~ Sue Langley

 

Advertisement
Diana L. Duggan shares this elegantly simple treatment of a cracked bird bath

Diana L. Duggan says, “Rock My World created this bird bath.  Its made from a large lamp base and the bath is a glazed ceramic serving dish. Its adhered to a painted cement stepping stone..the birds and bees perch on the rocks…”

 

Janet Hill says, “Old bird baths make interesting planters”

 

Sue Gerdes’s birdbath and birdcage combo

Sue Gerdes says, ” Birdbath and bird cage with some Yellow Bells.  I had to change this plant I had one in here that was not happy happy happy. It had a root rot or something…. you can do tea lights during parties!”

 

Pat Jackson’s vivid colors really make this fairy garden pop!

Pat Jackson tells us, “My fairy garden grown in a discarded fountain. It includes a homemade wire arbour and toadstools made from sticks and acorn caps.”

 

Ann Elias’s spiffed bird bath

Ann Elias says, “This was my mother-in-laws birdbath. It is very old and no longer holds water. I found just the right size dish. Now just have to wait for the birds to find it. It is hot today…I am sure some will enjoy cooling off in it.”

 

Before and After: recycling an old cracked fountain

Jenny Alexander broken fountain

Jenny Alexander shows us the process. Before – an old broken fountain…

 

Now she’s planted it with tiny, carefully chosen plants.

 

Jenny Alexander’s completed fairy garden

“My fairy garden is finished. This is the old fountain I showed you, but now the fairies have arrived,” Jenny exclaims!  “The pink is alyssum. The tall is baby blue eyes. Some sedum and creeping thyme ..all annuals.”

Sue Langley

Sue Langley, a passionate gardener and photographer lives and gardens with her husband and Corgi, Maggie on 7 acres just south of Yosemite, Zone 7 at 3000 feet. She manages the Flea Market Gardening Facebook page and website.

Recent Posts

Boat gardens sail away…with our hearts

Grow, Grow, Grow, Your Boat... These boat gardens are beautiful, colorful, and well grown.  It looks like a lot of… Read More

4 years ago

Decorate your garden with blue!

'Paint' Your Garden with Blue... Is your garden is singing the blues? Mix recycled containers and crafts with blue flowers… Read More

4 years ago

Lost and Found in the Garden

See this hilarious and sometimes poignant list of lost items in the garden Question.......what was the last thing you lost… Read More

4 years ago

Jeanne’s garden Baker’s rack

Designing a charming garden baker's rack When I first saw Jeanne’s well-arranged and simply delightful Baker’s rack, I thought, ‘Somebody… Read More

4 years ago

Billie’s Yellows in the garden

Choosing a color from 'Over the Rainbow Garden' Billie Hayman's garden is full of color and she shows how one… Read More

4 years ago

Alliums in the garden, real & crafty!

Alliums are drama queens in the garden! Whether real flowers, grown from bulbs or the crafted faux flowers modeled after… Read More

4 years ago
Advertisement