Consider a Water Feature as Important to Your Garden as Soil & Sun

What if there was something you could add to your garden that takes care of birds and pollinators?

That adds charm and makes your space feel more tranquil?

That helps you deal with garden pests without turning to synthetic sprays that are terrible for the environment?

That might even discourage squirrels from stealing all your cherry tomatoes?

We don't have to stretch our imaginations much because birdbaths and fountains actually can do all these things. It's pretty incredible but true. And when I installed my birdbath in my garden, it only took about 10 seconds for me to notice the difference it was making.

Here are three reasons to add a birdbath or some type of water feature to your kitchen garden space.

Water Features Attract Birds That Will Improve the Overall Health of Your Garden Space

We all need to do our part to support our local wildlife, not just because we're constantly bulldozing their habitats and removing their food sources. Wildlife like birds can actually make our gardens better and more productive, and guess what? Birdbaths and fountains are actually a better way to attract our feathered friends than bird feeders.

The Benefits of Having More Birds in Your Garden

Birds use water features for drinking and for grooming. Once they're all nice and clean, they'll hunt for slugs, caterpillars, and other garden pests. They help with pollination as they move between plants, and while they're pecking for grubs and slugs, their little feet add much-needed air pockets in the soil. Their poop can even nourish your plants!

Adding a birdbath is the perfect way to tell birds they're welcome in your space. Mine got the invite in less than a minute. Now, you might have birds steal some fruit, especially if you're growing berries, but overall, they'll do much more good for your garden than harm.

Bonus: Your Birdbath Might Even Stop Squirrels from Stealing Your Tomatoes

When squirrels steal from your garden, they might actually be more thirsty than they are hungry. I mean, one juicy cherry tomato is like a Stanley tumbler to a thirsty squirrel. I've noticed a difference in squirrels stealing my tomatoes ever since I installed my concrete birdbath.

Birdbaths Bring More Beneficial Insects to Your Garden

Like birds, beneficial insects are wonderful friends to have in the garden. Having a water source can actually attract thirsty insects like bees, butterflies, and wasps. These pollinators will come for the water but then stay to pollinate all your fruiting plants, which means you get bigger harvests.

It's hard for some of us to think of wasps as beneficial, but they prey on garden pests like aphids, beetles, and caterpillars (including cabbage worms and hornworms). Trust me, you want wasps in your garden. Inviting them in is part of what I call working with nature, instead of against it.

Water is an important way for many of these insects to get minerals that aren't in their food. On hot days, they also might like to take a quick dip to cool off.

Fountains Add to the Tranquility of Your Garden Space

That little birdbath could be good for your wellbeing, too. My kitchen garden has always been the place I go to get away when I can't get away, you know? I made my Nashville garden even more of a little oasis when I added my birdbath as a central feature. Visually speaking, it's a beautiful focal point, but mostly I just like watching the birds play in the water.

Even if you're not much of a bird watcher, you can add a sense of tranquility to your space with a water feature. I can just feel my shoulders relax when I hear moving water, and the gentle sound a fountain can provide is ideal for drowning out noise if you live on a busy street.

Depending on how big your fountain is, it might even cool the air around it on warm days, which is a pretty huge plus.

Tips to Select a Birdbath or Water Feature

You don't have to go full out with a bubbling fountain or anything requiring a motor (unless you're really after that trickling water sound, of course). A simple birdbath will do just fine to give wildlife a drink before they go back to slurping nectar and hunting caterpillars.

The right birdbath or fountain can bring so much charm to your space, so look for one that matches the overall style of your home and garden. That's easy enough to do since there are so many options out there—everything from bright and colorful to elegant to whimsical. I've seen plenty of great options at big box stores and garden centers for around $50, though there are certainly more expensive products out there. Most birdbaths you'll find are made of metal, concrete, or ceramic.

I chose a simple concrete birdbath from Pottery Barn for my garden. It's placed in the very center of my garden, in the middle of 10 total raised beds, so it's become the focal point of the space. The gray matches the concrete stepping stones I also added. Over time, it will age a bit and take on a more weathered appearance, which will complement my Corten steel raised beds and add some more character.

My birdbath bowl is pretty shallow. The water inside evaporates quickly, but I think the birds prefer the more shallow pool so they can wade around and clean their feathers without having to go for a full dunk.

How to Maintain Your Birdbath

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that the water inside your birdbath or fountain needs to be fresh and filled so it's always ready for wildlife. Ideally, you'll replace standing water on a daily basis. I just give my birdbath a quick rinse each day when I step outside to check on my garden. This kind of maintenance is also important to preventing mosquitos from turning your beautiful water feature into a breeding ground. (Fountains that regularly circulate water should be fine.)

Make sure you're also removing any fallen leaves and other debris, especially if your fountain has a pump that could get clogged.

If algae starts growing on your water feature, drain it and give it a good scrub with a vinegar and water mix.

If you live somewhere cold, consider removing the bowl of your birdbath from its pedestal and either flipping it over on the ground or storing it in a shed or garage for the winter. That way, it won't fill with ice and crack.

Time to Add a Birdbath or Fountain!

Think of your garden as its own little ecosystem, and all those feathered friends and buzzing benefactors are soon going to help you bring balance to this ecosystem. And balance means less work for you, my friend.

So put your birdbath somewhere you can see it, and enjoy the show! While you're at it, consider adding a little nesting bag or bird house to your space. You won't regret inviting all these birds into your garden space when they're eating all your cabbage loopers for you!