Adding a shuttlecock bath is one of the best room to increase the number of songbirds and wildlife in your garden . When set on the ground , birds utilise it for drunkenness , bathing , and cool down . Here ’s how to make your own DIY concrete bird bath using a rhubarb foliage !
The first meter I try out a tartrhubarb stalkdipped in sugar , I was hooked ! The flavour is surprisingly complex for a stalk , and when matched with something gratifying , it ’s a short slice of heaven .
The leaves , on the other deal , are not so tasty ( which is good since they are toxic ) , but it ’s such a pity that this prolific works does n’t have more culinary uses .
This is an easy weekend project.
This DIY concrete bird bath is my attack to get a little more out of my rhubarb plant plant . The frilled and very big leaves make a grand mould for a bird bath . Once cast in concrete , these rhubarb plant leaves will live on eternally and supply garden boo with a watering jam .
Here ’s how you could make your own concrete leaf bird bath !
Harvesting Rhubarb
To pop out this labor , you ’ll need some openhanded , juicy leaf . We also need to make trusted we ’re not harm the rhubarb when we pick the leaves .
countenance a new plant get for two years before harvesting any gunstock , and only take one - third of the plant in year three and beyond . After that , you could harvest the plant passably heavily , leaving the lowly stalks behind after six to eight weeks of pulling off stems for Proto-Indo European and bird baths .
For this rhubarb plant leaf wench bathtub , choose a steady leaf with a strong shape(if you’re able to get any without holes , then felicitation , you have win theslug warfare ! ) .
It ’s good to come out this project at the beginning of the season when the leaves are strongest and less chewed . A few nibbles or holes are expect in an constitutive garden and wo n’t take away from the final task .
How to Make a Concrete Leaf Bird Bath
If you ’ve never worked with concrete before , this is a great first project to try out . It ’s simple but creates a beautiful final result that you could expose in your garden while help the local birds .
Materials
- Choose a lightweight concrete premix ( less gravel ) for a smooth finished product . Or , opt a heavy - system of weights concrete premix ( more crushed rock ) if the stones will be in high - dealings areas . The good concrete for small , cosmetic labor is fixture concrete , which has no turgid pieces of crushed rock in it .
Make It!
Wear protective glove , glasses , and a masque , and commingle the concrete accord to the manufacturer ’s teaching .
While the mensuration and mixing instructions will be on the software package , in general , you will want a large container to commix a whole cup of tea at once . An old wheelbarrow is idealistic as the height make mixing a bit easier .
First , add the concrete to the container , then stream the recommended measure of pee into the center . Stir good and use immediately . The consistency should be on the drier , firmer side . Add more dry mixture if it is too fluid .
Build a truehearted knoll in the soil in the shape you want your bird bath to take .
lie the fictile drop textile over the mound and place the folio , vein - side up , on it .
Spray the back of the leaf soundly with cooking spray or brush with oil .
pack the concrete onto the leaf and pat it all around to compress the concrete andremove air bubbles . spread out the concrete to just 1/2″ from the sharpness of the leaf and mildly polish up the extra 1/2″ of the leaf over the edge of the concrete . This will give the sharpness a more refined feeling .
enwrap the concrete in charge plate and provide it todry for 12 hoursif the external temperature is hot and dry or 24 hours if it is cooler and more humid .
Gently peel off the leaf before the concrete is set , being mindful that it can easy give out or snap at this microscope stage . Generally , it ’s preferable to wait until the concrete is completely dry to unmold it , but often , this leaves more industrial plant textile behind in the crevices .
Allow the concrete to cure completelyaccording to the parcel educational activity , then use a stiff bristle coppice to scrub off any remaining plant material . You may also employ a chisel and hammer to remove any concrete that has scarper the confines of the leaf , leaving the snort bath in a finished but still natural shape .
typeset the concrete bird bathing tub upright in the garden , on a lift wood dais or atop some revolutionise clay pots .
Caring for Your Concrete Bird Bath
Your concrete skirt bathing tub will do by the sunlight , the rain , and anything the fond weather condition can give its style . But once the dusty creeps in , you might want to retire your boo bath for the yr .
Concrete is a holey stuff that is prone to snap and chip if not by rights maintained . You ca n’t allow water block in it , as this will cause small crevice .
Before the winter , drain it and bring it indoors where it is ironical . Alternatively , you could run out it and cover it with something like a tarp until the springtime .
Frequently Asked Questions About Concrete Bird Baths
Concrete is safe for birds and one of the most effective ways to make a bird bathtub . The folio imprint keeps them beautiful as well as operative for the birds . Many bird baths you buy have been glaze over for appearance and to make them easier to clean . But birds do n’t like the glazing , find it slippery and uncomfortable while essay to utilize the water .
If your DIY concrete doll bathtub becomes crack , you may resurface it . To do this , you will spread a bed of new concrete atop the old one , ensure it ’s moist and clean before use the young bed of concrete . Apply the layer of concrete , then use a novel leaf or two to get a unexampled imprint .
Make a Bird-Friendly Backyard
Rhubarb Leaf Concrete Bird Bath
Equipment
Supplies
Instructions
Notes
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