Winter is Coming… How To Ensure That Your Clay Birdbath Top Does Not Break

Fall is here and the birds are still active and probably still looking for food and water for bathing and drinking that your birdbath has provided them. But as winter approaches, your birdbath can be at risk of breakage if you live in a colder climate. We want to remind you that you should remove your birdbath top for winter before water freezes, as it may allow it to crack. The base does not collect water and can usually withstand the elements, depending just how cold it gets in your area. If you are not sure, please store them away for winter so they will remain beautiful and ready for use when spring comes. For you warm climate people, you can keep your birdbath out year round as a beautiful garden decoration for your birds without fear of breakage!

What we did with our broken birdbath… Many years ago, when these birdbaths first became available, we purchased one for ourselves, (we have the purple lavender one), and our birdbath top broke several years later but we continued to use the base, for 10 years, as a gazing globe holder and it was really unique and beautiful. The old style birdbath top (like ours) just rested on top of the base, making it easy for a racoon, cat, or squirrel to easily flip it off its base and break and that is exactly what happened to ours. Since we also sold gazing globes on our website, we added a stainless steel gazing globe on top that endured many winters, wind storms and more. And when the wind would blow it off the base, we would just pick it back up and place it back in place. A glass gazing globe will fit in the base hole and could work as well, but again, in colder climates they have the potential to break, so we don’t really want to suggest that, but, of course, you certainly can try one and see what happens. We have used glass globes here in North Carolina for the winter without breakage. As long as water does not collect and freeze it might be okay, but no guarantee.
After many years as a gazing globe holder, we wanted a birdbath back, so my husband decided to super glue a replacement top to the base…. thus for us, when winter arrives here in North Carolina, we will be bringing both pieces into our storage building. So, lawnmower, move over and make room for a birdbath set! I have to say it has been nice to have a whole birdbath again, even if we had to glue the base and top together.
As most of you know, we do sell replacement bases and tops so you don’t have to buy a whole new set if one piece gets compromised