Looking to liven up your yard? A birdbath can make an excellent addition to your garden. You’ll be rewarded with the fluttering and splashing of birds, and a piece of garden art you can use in creative ways.

When selecting an area for your birdbath, make sure you choose a place with moisture-loving plants. As birds splash and bathe, plants that surround the birdbath will stay happy and healthy. This also makes for easy cleaning, because you can just empty the birdbath right in the garden. 

Clean water in birdbaths is important. The easiest way to keep things clean is prevention.  Try these ideas:

• When refilling the birdbath, dump out the stagnant water instead of just adding more.
• Position the birdbath away from feeders so spilled seed soil will not land in the water.
• Choose a shady spopt for the birdbath to minimize algae growth and slow evaporation. 
• Position the birdbath where it will not be clogged by glass clippings, falling leaves and other debris. 

No matter how carefully a birdbath is maintained, however, it will need regular cleaning.

An easy to way to wash it is to clean the basin reguarly by hosing it down with a spray of water to remove debris and prevent it from settling in. 

Clean your birdbath several times a week, depending on how dirty it gets.  The more often you clean it, the less time you’ll spend cleaning each time.

A birdbath is sure to attract feathered friends to your yard, and a great source of entertainment to watch birds frolicking in the water.