(FORTUNE Small Business) – Concrete Classics Chess Table

Brothers Noah and Josh Levine, both chess lovers, got the idea for their company when their parents were searching for a chess table like those found in New York City's public parks. Made of concrete, their version features a green-and-white-tile chessboard with a brass grid and will last a lifetime. Get a freestanding version or one that can be fixed into the ground. Each table comes with two stools and--yes--a set of chess pieces. concrete-classics.com, $2,200

Vessel Rechargeable Lamps

Vessel's Candela Pro lamps let you barbecue and entertain alfresco after the sun goes down. Company founders Stéfane Barbeau and Duane Smith used to design consumer electronics and gym equipment, but now they dream up products for the home. Vessel's Pro set comes with ten lamps (each hard plastic, seven inches high) that last for eight hours and recharge on an accompanying base. vessel-store.com; $399

Vasse Vaught Bird Feeder

Metal craftsman Vasse Vaught and his wife, Peg, started out building copper roofs for homes. In 2000 the two forged their first copper birdfeeder in their Christiansburg, Va., workshop, and since then they've expanded to create other backyard products. Their latest design, the Pavilion bird feeder, looks like sculpture and has a perforated bottom to drain and aerate seeds. vassevaught.com; $60

Garden Works Trowel

Made of thick stainless steel with a two-prong tip, the Tiger Trowel is designed to get into tight spaces and dig deep. Owners and designers K.C. Sheehan and Mike Roser gave up their day jobs 12 years ago to focus on their favorite pastime--gardening. Now the Bellevue, Wash., company's tools are carried by Plow & Hearth and Smith & Hawken. createagarden.com; $20

CartCraft Lawn Utility Vehicle

Gardening is fun. Lugging dirt isn't. Enter the LUV, a rechargeable battery-powered cart that holds 200 pounds and travels at 2 mph. The cart came out in 2003; this spring the company introduced three accessories that snap onto the side for hauling firewood, mulch, and leaves. luvcart.com; $350 (extras $50 to $70)

Hillerich & Bradsby Gardening Glove

Sporting-goods maker Hillerich & Bradsby, which sells Louisville Slugger bats, brought in an orthopedic hand surgeon in the 1990s to design a better hockey glove. He then moved on to batting gloves, which H&B modified to create the Bionic gardening glove. Since then it has won raves from gardening pros and an ease-of-use award from the Arthritis Foundation. The latest version, new this spring, has extra-tough reinforced fingertips and palms. bionicgloves.com; $40