Because winter can't thaw fast enough, the next best thing is anticipating spring's first buds with bright-green pieces indoors. The tree bookshelf (designartist.co.kr) is an interactive, artistic home for books and accessories. And like a real tree's flowers or fruit, the keepsakes on these branches become part of the scenery. Hand-welded with lightweight recyclable metal and powder coated (for a high gloss), the 6-foot-63/4-inch-tall bookcase is green in more ways than one.

Made with organic soy wax, the Basics candle in Fresh Cut Grass (canvashomestore.com) conjures the familiar scent without anyone having to mow the lawn.

These seeds of 'Green Envy,' an heirloom zinnia (reneesgarden.com), produce flowers in a bright, rarely seen shade of chartreuse.

The smaller pieces of "foliage" on this handmade Leaves mobile (hangingmobilegallery.com) represent new buds.

Frame a Coconut Palm letterpress specimen print (mossiere.com) to add botanical charm to any space.

Printed from an original art collage made with vintage magazines, the Urubbu card (#362,greerchicago.com) is a fresh way to greet faraway friends this spring.

With its graceful frond pattern, the Fern Garden pillow (by Martha Stewart, macys.com ) looks refined and has a soothing presence.

Leaf-It sticky notes (in Spring, floragrubb.com) stay put as bookmarks and give the usual jotted memos a sprightly new feel.

Still too cold to entertain outside? The trellis-pattern Espalier porcelain dinnerware by Charlotte Moss for Pickard (5-piece setting, pickardchina.com) brings a little bit of the garden to the table.

Time for an outdoor siesta. The retro-modern Acapulco chair (innitdesigns.com) was inspired by Mayan hammock weaving. Made with durable vinyl cords, it's easy to keep clean.

These 100 percent wool Arbor felt coasters (teroforma.com) are double-sided and can also function as napkin rings.

Made from hand-printed textiles, the Sprout and Vine tea towels (set of 2, studiopatro.com) give afternoon tea and snack settings a casual elegance; the absorbent linen-cotton blend makes them practical in the kitchen.

Frames and forms have always offered a great way to tame vines. These days, there are far more options than plain latticework.

From left (top): A graphic pattern sets the Horizon garden trellis (theshopperslink.com) apart; covered in vines, it's a slim screen; The Ogee tuteur with Fleur de Lys finial (detroitgardenworks.com) is perfectly scaled for beds or pots; With its fine craftsmanship and modular versatility, the Accent Two cedar trellis (trellisstructures.com) looks good displayed on its own or in multiples.

The latest generation of materials makes surprisingly chic (and affordable) stand-ins for stone, clay, metal, and even wicker.

From left (bottom): The high relief of this Moroccan Cylinder (jaysonhomeandgarden.com) is as artful in fiber-clay as it would be in lead; A real Cretan vessel would be relegated to decorative use; not this solid Mediterranean planter (with stand, not shown; wellappointedhouse.com). Based on a stone classic, this rolled-rim low planter (pennoyernewman.com) is far less hefty to hoist yet still stately; This sturdy faux-wicker round basket (detroitgardenworks.com) has Provencal panache; Most wooden planters decay, but this faux-bois mini planter (detroitgardenworks.com) stands up to the elements.

Mint-packed mojitos and juleps might be the most famous examples, but all kinds of cocktails will perk up when herbs are added to the mix. The key to extracting the herbs' flavors and fragrant oils is muddling -- done with a traditional bar tool (that's similar to a mortar and pestle but gentler on delicate leaves) or the end of a wooden spoon. Here are four herbalicious drinks from our test kitchen:

The classic Italian aperitif gets a fresh upgrade with cilantro.

Blending two classic summer drinks makes a new favorite.

This French favorite gets an dose of Italian.

"Modern without being Modernist" is how decorating editor Rebecca Robertson sums up these pieces. Botanical prints sometimes seem old-fashioned, but these feel fresh and alive.

From left: Red Tree silk-screen print by Leanne Shapton (20" by 16", waynepate.com); Still Life With Flowers and Moth giclee print by Bella Foster (9" by 11 1/2", waynepate.com).Rusty Bird archival print by Hadley Hutton (13" by 17", hadleyhutton.artshopkit.com); Eucalyptus archival-ink print from Fiction by Maggie Louden (8 1/2" by 11" etsy.com/fictionshop).

Roses are red, violets are...versatile. We love that these pretty purple flowers are turning up everywhere.

From top: Chewing Choward's scented gum (economycandy.com) leaves breath sweet; The extract in Claus Porto Fantasia Soap in Violet (lafcony.com) comes from South African violets; You'll find candied-violet pieces in Yves Thuries dark-chocolate bar with crystallized violets (thefrenchybee.com); L'Ami Provencal French Hard Candies (thefrenchybee.com) are nicely tart; Inspire Handcreme (lollialife.com) moisturizes with shea butter and macadamia nut oil and smells just like spring; Choward's Violet candies (economycandy.com) have a strong, flowery flavor; A little milk and honey will balance the floral notes of Violet Rose Black Tea (svtea.com).

Whether you're pruning, propagating, or planting with the kids, garden work is easier when you have the right tools at the ready. Use this leather holster (gemplers.com) to tote a pair of ergonomic pruners (fiskars.com). Keep the blades rust free and honed with a sanding block (garretwade.com) and an easy-to-use sharpener (niwaki.com).

Organic DOT pots decompose quickly when planted (johnnyseeds.com). A yew dibblet punches holes in soil for seeds, and wooden labels mark plantings (fromfarmtomarket.com).

Durable Country West garden gloves, come in junior sizes (westcountrygardener.com). Budding growers will dig the Hape Eco Greenhouse (hapetoys.com), with seed trays or this set of small-scale tools (forsmallhands.com).

These cool tools will give you an extra hand around the yard -- or protect the pair you already have. Don't be fooled by their perfect fit and stylish prints: Ethel gloves (in Green Tweed, terrainathome.com) are for serious gardeners -- and they're machine-washable, too.

When the gardening day is done, you can't do better than washing up with a Marfa Brand soap bar (marfabrands.com), handmade in batches in remote Marfa, Texas. We especially like the ones that incorporate cornmeal for its scrubbing effect.

Ditch the noisy, dangerous string trimmer and manually trim your turf's edges with these Bahco edging shears (amleo.com). The long handles spare your back, and the big blades ensure a perfectly neat cut.

Leaf collection mitts (cleanairgardening.com) turn your hands into superefficient scoops, letting you pick up large piles of leaves and other backyard debris.

The new dsolv system (dsolvbag.com) may be the best thing since the rake. Compostable mesh bags fit around a pop-up chute, creating a wide mouth into which you can toss fallen leaves. The bags hold up to 45 gallons and can be left on the curb for collection.

Weed to the beat with this battery-free AM/FM/weather band radio (kikkerlandshop.com), which runs on a solar panel on sunny days; it can be hand-cranked indoors.

Keeping a garden journal is a great idea in theory; in reality, it's not so easy. Enter the Garden Scribe Plant Organizer (gardenscribe.com), with a fill-in-the-blank layout, slots for photos and labels, and dividers for different plant types.

Wick water from soggy pairs of gloves with the wonderfully low-tech Glove Dogs glove dryer (gloves-online.com); the contraption is filled with a cedar stuffing that absorbs moisture.

This nifty little handle helper (leevalley.com), a comfortable, easy-on- the-hands plastic grip, can slide over the wire handle of most buckets -- so you no longer have to wince when hauling your garden cargo.

Plunked at the bottom of vases, floral frogs (small holders used to keep arranged flowers in place) often go unseen. And given their utilitarian design, this usually isn't a loss. But figural models are another story. Take this endearing crew of fish, turtles, and waterfowl. Floral frogs in the form of aquatic creatures were popularized in Japan in the 1880s and reached their peak in the 1920s, says collecting editor Fritz Karch. 

Made from lead, bronze, or baked ceramic, many of the pieces developed an appealing patina as they aged. Nowadays, the vintage frogs are sold on eBay and at garden-antiques shows, such as Trade Secrets (tradesecretsct.com), costing anywhere from $50 to $150. Fritz suggests showing off the critters in shallow, pond-like arrangements, as with these tropical fern fronds and scented geranium leaves, where they'll look right at home

Garden-inspired details can feel like a breath of fresh air in a formal living space. For this room, which first appeared in our September 2003 issue, we layered floral patterns in verdant colors for a lush effect. Today we suggest updating the look by using more graphic, contemporary botanical prints. Read on to see how to get the look for your home.

The Book of Palms (taschen.com) has plates you can remove to use as art.

Control light with Cascade Roman shades (in Natural, theshadestore.com)

Marrakech curtain panels (anthropologie.com) provide a hit of pattern without overwhelming the room.

The classic lines of the Isabelle sofa (in Gray Wash, laylagrayce.com) work in almost any space.

The Chrysanthemum rug (in Malted, by Martha Stewart Living, from homedecorators.com) complements the green palette.

Dress up the sofa with embroidered Geo and Damask pillows (by Martha Stewart Collection, from macys.com).

Gold Monstera leaves (twoscompany.com) in vintage demijohn bottles (jaysonhomeandgarden.com) are a pretty, wilt-proof alternative to flowers.

A marble top gives extra sophistication to the brass Directoire table (globalviews.com).

These soft, taken-from-nature colors work nicely on walls as well as ceilings. When using one of these colors on a ceiling, pair it with white or neutral walls.

Top left: Butterfly Bush Olympic (lowes.com)

Bottom left: Pebblestone Pratt & Lambert (prattandlambert.com) 

Top right: Sienna Laurel Benjamin Moore (benjaminmoore.com)

Bottom center: Beach Grass Martha Stewart Living Paint (homedepot.com)

Bottom right: Stone White Farrow & Ball (farrow-ball.com)