Bird-and-Bee Fountain

Philadelphia summers run hot and dry on the pollinators, so I built a small backyard fountain to keep the neighborhood bees and birds watered through the worst of it. It is equal parts sculpture and habitat, made in true DIY fashion.

How it’s going

The bees found it before the birds did. The fussy part has been keeping the water fresh and the landing spots shallow enough for insects, who drown more easily than you would think. I am still tuning the flow so it stays full in the heat without going stagnant.

Notes

I planted around the base so the whole corner reads as one small watering hole. The shallow ledge matters more than the height or the splash, at least to the bees.