Anybody made branch birdbaths? any suggestions? I am interested in making a birdbath beside concrete and a large...

I am interested in making a birdbath beside concrete and a large palm leaf for the imprint. Any suggestions?
What is a virtuous self leveling cement to...
Answers:    I have done this beside elephant ear leaves and they turned out very nice. For the pudding basin mold I mounded up damp sand and covered it beside plastic. I put the leaves face down on the plastic. The best vein on the leaves are on their back sides. I used give or take a few 3 leaves overlapping. Then I piled concrete on top of the leaves to a depth of just about 1/2 inch. I put a layer of chicken chain on top of that section of concrete. When that all dried I added another cloak of concrete to cover the chicken wire. In the center I put a long pin covered by a yogurt cup of concrete sticking up which would fit into the base.

A great book on this process is: Creative Concrete Ornaments for the Garden by Sherri Warner Hunter. I first get it from the library but then have to buy my own copy.

Good luck.
Factors effecting on concrete strength?
Do you have a pudding basin mold at least? Or will it be a free form mixing bowl?

The leaf might be better "scribed in" if you hold that opportunity? Or if you're crafting the basin surrounded by the UP position you might consider pressing fresh leaves into the cement; OR creating the leaf look contained by relief by removing; scrape away surrounding cement.

Actually a cool looking bird bath would look resembling the basin be overlapping leaves with the basis looking like a tree trunk.