Depending upon where you live, now may be the time to start thinking about new birds popping up in your back yard. For homeowners whose bird feeders didn’t survive the harsh-weather season (massive hail destroyed mine last month), plenty of innovative designs await online, from cute models that are completely edible ($18) to this ingenious invention ($65 to $80) with a rolling-grate mechanism that supports the little songbirds you want but rolls over to eject any squirrels trying to get their food. For sleek modern aesthetics, few out there compete with the Architect’s Birdfeeder ($25; pictured), a completely transparent model with multiple selling points: it ships flat, in an inch-high box that saves shipping costs; it assembles with no tools or fasteners, using eight notched pieces that simply slide and lock together; and, well, it looks excellent. Once you’ve selected and mounted your feeder, though, you’ll want to get to know your neighbors. Chronicle Books recently expanded its neat line of bird song guides, in which a built-in audio player matches each bird’s call to an illustration and encyclopedic description, with two titles: The Western and Eastern/Central volumes of The Backyard Birdsong Guide are even better than their predecessors, with a smaller, more backpack-friendly format matching a much lower $25 price tag. If identifying each species becomes so engrossing you become a full-blown birder, you’ll find that some in the hobby are tempted to doubt your rare-bird finds. Put them in their place with a line of small binoculars by Celestron ($67 to $252) that integrates a digital camera into the scope, letting you record each Dark-Eyed Junco and Belted Kingfisher to show Doubting Thomases back home.

The world of lawn decor is full of lighting options, some more clever than others, some downright junky. Solar lights can be found in pathway lighting, stepping stones, faux landscape rocks, statuary (check out this gargoyle) and even novelties like the ladybug and turtle garden lights, not to mention gnomes playing checkers. Located at the intersection of eco-consciousness, design fetishism and the impulse that gave us luminarias is the Sun Jar (pictured) in yellow or chilly blue. Manufactured by a British firm with the facetious name Suck UK, the elegantly simple lantern uses the kind of Mason jar your grandma (or, depending on your age, great-great-grandma) probably used to can produce from the garden. Housed within that watertight seal (and therefore weather-proof) is a small solar panel, a battery, and an energy-sipping LED lamp; leave it out on the patio in direct sunlight, and come dusk it will emit a warm glow to light your cookout. The lamp can also be used indoors, so long as it gets charged in direct sun — sitting on a window sill, for instance. Available in the U.S. from Elsewares ($40).

Whether you grow them yourself or buy them in the produce section of the market, there is nothing like a meal made with fresh rather than dried herbs. The flavors are cleaner and more intense. Plus they pretty up a dish and smell great in your kitchen. But sometimes you only need a pinch of oregano or a tablespoon of dill and end up throwing away most of what you bought before you can use it. Which is where the new Herb Savor by Prepara ($30) comes in. It extends the life of your fresh herbs for up to three weeks inside of the refrigerator door by keeping the leaves protected from the moisture in the air while the stems stand in a little well of water. Used with a pair of Endurance stainless-steel herb scissors ($11), also new on the market, fresh herbs are as handy and simple to cook with as salt and pepper. These feature five sharp blades which make it quick and easy to mince, chop or cut the exact quantity you need right over a pan or a plate. Once you taste the difference and get hooked on food flavored with fresh cut herbs, you might like to grow them yourself. At HerbKits, the best-selling product is the Garden Stacker and Indoor Culinary Herb Garden ($60). Each kit includes lots of seeds (for growing multiple parsley, thyme, cilantro/coriander, basil, dill, oregano, sweet marjoram, chives, savory, garlic chives, mustard and sage plants), 50 peat packets to plant and water them in, and a small greenhouse that provides the perfect climate for propagation and growth within a few weeks. Transfer the plants to the hangable indoor/outdoor Garden Stacker (pictured). You can go the traditional route with fresh herb seeds, planting ideas, assortments and advice from Burpee. And if you live in a rural area or like to hike, Bulk Herb Store has a DVD, Making Herbs Simple ($30), which will teach you how to recognize herbs in the wild and show you the right way to wash, dry and store them. This site is devoted to the medicinal and health-promoting use of herbs and also explains the steps necessary to make poultices and tinctures.

Tradition has it that gnomes bring good luck to gardens. The gnomes as we know them today were first produced in Germany in the mid-1800s, so where better to start than Zwergli, which specializes in German gnomes? Brush up on your gnome history and how a gnome is born (hint: it’s all the tip of the hat). Then visit Gnome Outlet – who knew gnomes had so many careers and tasks? Some are guides, others are workerbees, still more have everyday lives. Witness Arnold and Sarah getting married (pictured) or, more alarmingly, Bradley in the Tub ($21 each). Leaf through the classic source of gnome lore, Wil Huygen and Rien Poortvliet’s Gnomes ($17), allegedly dictated by David the Gnome, who inspired the animated series of the same name. Poortvliet gnomes can be found at Clean Air Gardening, or you can adopt a homeless gnome from Garden Gnomes Need Homes. For an original design, sculptor Candice Kimmel bills herself at the “last surviving gnome maker.” Make your gnome feel at home with this quaint cottage ($69) or a gnome door ($39) – who can tell what lurks on the other side? Gnome Town USA is the destination for collectors and chronicler of gnome sightings. OK, that’s enough of the traditional tales. Show your true colors with an NCAA gnome ($21), although this KU alum wants to know why she can’t seem to unearth a National Champ Jayhawk gnome. Travelocity’s Roaming Gnome stars in the Gnome Away from Home kit, complete with a figurine, passport and travel tips ($7). PrankPlace.com yuks it up with all sorts of gnome-sense, like the Answer Me Gnome ($20). Lest you think the little fellas are all airy and light, Garden Gnome from HELL spills the dirt on their dark side, including the useful tidbit that cumquats are the only defense in the never-ending struggle against gnomes. Check out the “Cumquats Save Lives” or “As Seen in Hell” T-shirts ($16 and $21). But the gigantic gnome groan of the day goes to this clever shirt line: “Sweet Gnome Alabama.”

You don’t need conveniently spaced trees in your yard, or even a yard, to experience the pleasures of hanging around and taking it easy. All you need is a hammock, and there are plenty to choose from. At Hammocks.com, the bestselling Island Bay extra-large basic rope model is on sale for $90 or $100. Made of thick, soft cotton or polyester rope cord, it fits two people comfortably and comes with a money-back guarantee. In South America, where ham- mocks often serve as beds, the styles include the Brazilian hammock ($59), a strong, brightly colored fabric hammock 6 feet, 5 inches long, and the Mayan family hammock ($79), a comfortable 14-foot-long “sleeping sack” hand woven by Mayan craftswomen. Both are available at Outer Banks Hammocks. Here in the U.S., a favorite style is the quilted fabric hammock, and Swings n’ Things has an extra large, high-quality model for half off retail ($99). The two layers of fabric are fade-, mildew-, and stain-resistant and are filled with polyester batting. If insects are an annoyance where you live, try the ultra-light Skeeter Beater ($54) from Seaside hammocks. It lets you zip yourself in to a podlike sack, the top half of which is made of extremely fine mosquito netting. And for a luxurious way to relax by the pool, try the poolside hammock from Brookstone ($140, pictured). For whatever hammock you choose, you’ll need a stand, unless you really do have those afore- mentioned trees. Over at Twin Oaks Hammocks, the stands are reduced. A single, standard large or premium large stand, available in green or black, will hang you up for $99 to $129. Be sure to get the right size for your hammock’s length and weight limitations. Wheel kits are also available to help you move it around on your patio, balcony, or the grass. Speaking of stands, take a look at the Roman Arc before making your decision. It’s substantially more expensive than the others ($495 or $795, depending on size), but it’s an architectural beauty made of American cypress.

While parts of the country are still experiencing a whole lot of cold, it’s not too early to create a cooling strategy for outdoor get-togethers and lounging this summer. Ceiling fans used to be relegated to indoor use, but those soothing breezes have headed outdoors. Feel like you’re on an island getaway with this Tommy Bahama Castaway fan with hand-carved palm leaves ($566.40) for the patio. This fan can be installed in damp location, though it’s not ideal for direct exposure to the elements. Consider a 52″ Casa Vieja rattan outdoor ceiling fan ($159.95 on sale) to complete your backyard oasis. Most people who have been to spots that get very hot in the summer have cooled off with an outdoor mister, and now that technology can reach your back patio with a Backyard Breeze ceiling fan misting system ($999). The luxurious patio palm outdoor heater and mister ($929.95, on sale, pictured) stands more than 8 feet tall and sports an elegant copper finish. Target’s oasis patio fan ($350) is steel with a bronze finish and stands nearly 8 feet tall, with a 54″ top and a 36″ base. A table kit ($70) attaches to the fan for cool entertaining. Even though breezes and mists surround you, cool off even more with the Summit outdoor glass door refrigerator with reversible door ($1,299), designed to keep your beverages as cool as you. If that’s out of your price range, try a foldable pop-up party ice bucket ($34.50, on sale) that can hold about 48 (12 oz.) cans with ice.

A soothing, bubbling water fountain is the perfect finishing touch for that new garden, landscaping, deck or patio. If you’re seeking the meditative Zen approach, this bamboo rocking fountain is feng-shui friendly ($82). The unusual Oriental tiki torch fountain adds a flickering flame of citronella to keep your garden or patio mosquito-free ($494.95). Wind and Weather’s elegant Agra stone fountain could double as an end table on the patio or in the living room ($149 for the fountain; $69.95 for the stand). Go green with a tiered blue ceramic solar fountain from Serenity Health ($114.95); powered by sunlight, it can sit in those hard-to-reach grottos. Another twist on the solar fountain is the classic copper Verona fountain/birdbath ($199). Speaking of copper, Frontgate’s large beam outdoor copper fountain (pictured), designed by artist Tom Torrens, is sure to add drama to any landscape; it’s handmade from fabricated steel and handspun copper ($2,000). (For more of Torrens’ stunning metalwork, visit Art for Décor.) The abstract art fountain from Spirit Elements ($1, 376) is another bold artistic statement, and it’s available in 12 colors. In Renfroe Designs’ pottery Cascade fountain, water meanders through an intricate series of pools and passageways ($770 to $850). If you’re not set on one location, Kinetic fountains has an array of lightweight Fiberglas fountains, such as the stone pillar, which looks like immovable rock and comes in three sizes ($299-$699). For Old World charm, it’s hard to top the selection at GardenFountains.com. Water trickles over three tiered pitchers in the cafe wall fountain ($1,795). And if you’re really in the flow, consider designing your own fountain at Willy’s Garden.