Viewing post #646927 by needrain

I like having the birds around, but most birdbaths available seem to have a Greek pillar design and don't fit with my mishmash of things. A couple of years ago I started with just a clay pot on the ground with a clay pan for the water. But ultimately it grew to stacked pots and cheap metal pot stands so it was a container planting. I used variegated (for obvious reasons ) Hedera helix for the plant and as it grew the stack has been adjusted and I found a chunk of sandstone with a flatter surface for the base. Relatively inexpensive. Also not very squirrel friendly. They have trouble climbing and for some reason haven't tried using the ivy. They are always ingenious, though, and one once launched itself from a near location and tipped the top pieces of the stack over. Some breakage and replacement then, but it's only happened the one time. The clay tray is easy to take off and clean from time to time. In the winter months I take the bath and stand off so I can take the ivy inside when temps get too cold for a potted plant. The early version here gives a clearer idea of the stack, but the one where the ivy has grown is how it is today.