Gardening Tip: Use Old Bird Bath as Flower Planter

I love bird baths and have quite a collection of them. Someone is always giving away their bird baths and they always pawn them off on me. In my backyard you will find 3 of them set up as a traditional bath for the birdies to enjoy. However, I have several others spread out around our property and use them as flower planters too!

The one shown in my photo today is on the smaller side. It is a 2-piece bird bath that was in terrible unfinished condition when I got it. I gave it a good scrubbing with bleach and water. I then headed over to Lowe's and purchased 2 cans of textured outdoor spray paint in a granite type of finish. I choose a natural shade so that it would blend in with all of my other outdoor decor.

Once I was back home I sprayed a coat of paint on each piece. I left it dry overnight. The following day...I sprayed a second coat. When spray painting you want to not stand too close to the item you are spraying or you will get drip & run marks. The objective is light and even coats!!!

After all pieces were dry we moved it onto one of our covered patios. It has a nice flat bottom (the bowl portion) and we decided to sit a flower basket inside it. When entertaining...we can keep the flowers in it for a decorative piece or remove the flower basket and use it as a small side table.

If your bird bath doesn't have a flat bottom...then toss some gravel and stones into the bottom before pouring in your dirt or potting soil. You can directly plant flowers into it if you prefer doing it this way but make sure you have at least 2" of stone & gravel in the bottom to allow water to drain.

Another tip...I didn't add a clear sealer after I painted our bird bath because it is kept on a patio that has a roof. It is not sitting out in the yard in all kinds of weather elements. If you are going to keep yours outside and unprotected, I do suggest that you add a coat or two of clear sealant. Enjoy!