Sure, the crocuses and daffodils have made their annual debut, but it will still be awhile before you can really sink your hands into the dirt and start planting. As Tom Petty says, the waiting is the hardest part, but a little planning can make things a little easier.

Take a look around your shed. Do you need a new rake? Have you lost your old gloves? And how about those pruning shears? Now take a look around the yard. Anything missing? (Aside from the flowers, that is). Chances are, things could use a little sprucing up outside, too. So head to your local garden center, or any shop that sells gardening-related goods, and start dreaming. We’ve selected a few items to get you started, because while April showers bring May flowers, snow showers tend to slow things down, and Memorial Day still seems a long way off.

. A rake that expands to gather leaves from the yard and contracts to get under shrubs is a versatile, inexpensive addition to any garden shed. The pictured rake weighs next to nothing and costs $8.49 at Sprague’s Nursery and Garden Center in Bangor.

. Working in the garden can be pretty stressful on your knees, but APCO’s colorful cushions make kneeling a little more comfortable. At $2.49, they’re a bargain, and they’ll keep your pants clean, too. You can find them at Sprague’s in Bangor. If you’re label-conscious, you may want to check out Birkenstock’s ergonomically designed knee cushion, the Birki, which comes in apple-green and bright-orange polyurethane, costs $35.95 and is available at The Walk Shop on Main Street in Bangor.

. All you need is gloves … OK, maybe not all you need, but these are pretty cool. Foxgloves were designed by a horticulturist to protect gardeners’ hands without encumbering them. The sleek, form-fitting gloves come in a bouquet of bright colors and are so thin that it almost feels like you’re gardening with bare hands, minus the dirty fingernails. Foxgloves cost $25 and are available at Molly’s in Winterport. The store also sells a selection of pretty, thin leather gloves for $20 and waterproof children’s gloves for $9.

. Grapefruit-sized orbs of Mexican glass are a hip alternative to the mirrored gazing ball, and they float in a water garden, too. The balls, which resemble glass floats, are available in solid blues, greens and purples or mesmerizing swirls. Oh, and you can prop it up with a metal ring and use it as a vase, too. They cost $9.95 each (the ring costs $3) and are available at The Grasshopper Shop.

. Look! Out in the garden! It’s a trowel. It’s a weeder. No, it’s the superscooper. About the only thing the Soil Scoop doesn’t do is arrange the flowers you grow. The Soil Scoop comes in two sizes (for indoors and out) and looks like an oversized ice-cream scoop with a pointy end. You hold it point-side-down as you dig, so it “acts as a natural extension of your hand.” Its serrated edges cut through roots, its point breaks up the soil, and the boatlike tool is great for digging trenches for bulbs. The outdoor model costs $14.99 and is available at Sprague’s.

. If you’d like to liven things up for the birds in your yard, look no further than The Grasshopper Shop, which sells earthenware birdbaths and feeders made by Bird Works in Stockton Springs. Each piece is partially glazed in soft greens, blues or pinks and accented with leaves, birds or other decorative designs. The birdbath is meant to hang from a branch or a bracket and it’s heavy enough to resist swinging. It costs $36.

. Your old jeans may be perfect for kicking around in the dirt, but they have nothing on Garden Gear. The Oregon-based company has designed overalls specifically for gardeners, with pockets in the knees for removable kneepads, plenty of pockets for tools and a pleated rear that gives when you bend over. The overalls come in mossy green and ticking stripes and cost $74 at Molly’s in Winterport.

. You’ve heard of a butterfly garden, but a butterfly feeder? Yes, it’s true, butterflies will stop for a “drink” at one of these hollow blown-glass flowers. They absorb the water through their wings, and if you place the feeder, complete with a copper stake, near a window, you can watch them as they flutter by. They are available at Greencare in Hermon and Sprague’s in Bangor, where they cost $21.99.

. Woodstock Percussion’s Hanging Garden Bells are as pretty to the eyes as they are to the ears. Suspended from a tree branch or a shepherd’s crook, the musical sculptures provide a soothing soundtrack to a day in the garden. They cost $42 and are available at The Grasshopper Shop in Bangor.

. A sundial only tells time when the sun is out, but you can enjoy the sun-and-moon model at Sprague’s rain or shine, fog or snow, heck, even under a full moon. And besides, who really uses these to tell time? Its face has a soft patina that looks at once classic and modern, making it the perfect accent to a traditional garden. It costs $42.99.

. Frolicking kittens and concrete turtles are cute, but a pensive gargoyle ornament adds that certain goth flair to any garden. Pair it with some black tulips and a couple of jack-in-the-pulpits and you’ll be good to grow. The sitting gargoyle costs $24.50 at The Grasshopper Shop.

. If all of this isn’t enough and you’re still in a planning mode, start filling out your plant markers. The simple silvery ones at Sprague’s are subtle enough so as not to detract from the plants, but good-looking enough to hold their own before the plants are fully grown. They cost 59 cents each or two for $1.

Special thanks to Sprague’s Nursery and Garden Center, the Grasshopper Shop, and Molly’s.