design: Water Bowls On Our Minds

If the birds have anything to say about it, we can't have too many water sources for them in the yard. The mockingbirds are regular visitors to my first water bowl installation up front.

Since making that wobbly, wabi sabi bowl, I learned a thing or two about making a concrete bird bath. In my first try, I used the wrong concrete and the proportion of the inside to outside just didn't quite satisfy. It's obviously perfectly functional for the birds, however, and it's placed up front where I can watch them drink from the front window.

But this is my latest effort at making a water bowl.

I have to admit that I'm rather pleased with the results! The concrete is smooth and the shape is proportional and so very mod. The base (made from a traffic cone mold - John's great idea) holds this bowl up for those birds that don't want to sit near the ground. I'd originally conceived of making these as planters, actually, so this one may be converted to that if I don't make any more of them.

We also received this fabulous water bowl from John's sister, and it's giving me all sorts of ideas.

It's beautiful with the imprinted fern and creative use of pea gravel. I also like it's shallowness, which I think the critters will take to as well. In this one, I don't need to provide a rescue rock (as with my deeper bowls), since the critters are unlikely to drown. (Thanks Lorry!)