You husband has the right idea. Sandblast - then the paint will adhere better to the birdbath. Spray enamel - good quality - We it is done change the water occasionally and I bet the water will be a better quality than most. Good luck - Mike

I very much like Ilex glabra, the Inkberry, and there is one strange one with dull whitish berries called Ivory Queen. Usually the berries are black, and birds will take them. Pretty Boy is a neat, dwarf form, that never has berries, but there are several that are ideal, and grow in Sun.

Californians called on to help study disease afflicting native pigeons "(Reuters) - California wildlife authorities are asking residents to take down bird baths and feeders if they spot sick or dead birds in their yards as experts closely monitor a disease afflicting the state's only native pigeon species. Increased mortality rates have been reported since mid-December among California's band-tailed pigeons, which are seen in flocks up to 200-strong during the winter in coastal areas from the San Francisco Bay Area south into Santa Barbara County and in the San Bernardino Mountains. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) blames the deaths on Avian Trichomonosis, a disease caused by a single-celled microscopic protozoan parasite transmitted to the band-tailed pigeons by non-native rock pigeons, also known as city pigeons, which were introduced to North America from Europe. CDFW environmental scientist Krysta Rogers said on Wednesday that the department's Wildlife Investigations Laboratory wants members of the public to be on the lookout for band-tailed pigeons this winter and go online to report any sick or dead bird species they see." This post was edited by claire on Thu, Feb 5, 15 at 13:10

The most common type of common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) for micro greens is oilseed sunflower used for making sunflower oil. The seeds are also used as bird feed since they are meatier and have a higher oil content, giving birds more nutrition. Seeds of all varieties of Helianthus annuus are edible to humans.