My son got me some for a gift that are on the shepard's hook (which are metal, not plastic). I have had them in the ground for about 7 years. Where we use to live, we had very cold freezing winters and I never brought them in. Now we live in very rainy weather in the spring and warm in the summer, still leave them out year round. Have not changed the batteries yet either. They look old fashion, too. The newer ones he has bought me, with just the stakes with lantern on top (plastic), two have broken already. Hope this helps.

I am looking on the internet for a not too much expensive solar-powered light that I can place inside my pond in a pot. Would you also know where I can get a panel and a light separately? I need to install the panel on top of the roof because there is not enough sunlight coming to my patio. Thanks!

if they are 12 volt lights then yes, you can easily put a deepcycle battery as the power source and have a small solar panel recharge it. i have seen several kits like this before, though i have not used one myself.

Probably wouldn't work. Most solar lights are dim. Sunlight is actually *MUCH* brighter then most artificial lights are...we don't realize just how much brighter because our pupils get much bigger in dim light. A REALLY nearby streetlight can have some impact in the Fall...as much because of the heat as the light. You would have to worry about additional hours of light making it confused about the seasons and causing it to put off going dormant too much. Mirrors might work more efficiently, but you would have to worry about them causing overheating in the dead of summer. Perhaps a big sculpture made of mirrors? A bunch of giant gazing balls? Something like this? The Trustees Announce Launch of Art and The Landscape | Press