Outside In

By Rob Brinkley

Fountains finished? Hasta la vista, hostas? Lose the vintage lawn furniture? When it comes to all things alfresco, we've got the dirt on what's in—and out—this spring and summer.

OUT: Finicky grasses.

IN: Synthetic lawns! And forget the scratchy ballpark stuff: Florida-based SYNLawn offers six fool-the-eye varieties, including SYNRye, SYNFescue, and SYNBlue styled after bluegrass. No watering, no cutting, ever! Ideal for balconies and rooftop gardens, too. (Insider tip: Next time you're at the Wynn Las Vegas, step outside: That's SYNLawn's SYNBlue Premium you're walking on.) (866) 796-5296; www.synlawn.com

OUT: High-maintenance perennial beds.

IN: Low-maintenance hedges, potted ivy.

OUT: Masses of color.

IN: Green on green. Green trees, green grasses, green shrubs.

OUT: Prissy plants that need too much attention.

IN: Hardy horticulture. Two buzzed-about sources for what's beautiful and tough: White Flower Farm (800-503-9624, www.whiteflowerfarm.com). Buy a kit that contains a five-gallon strawberry jar and 15 white verbenas—they bloom early and last through that first hard frost (depending on when they are planted). Ball Horticultural Company (630-231-3600, www.simplybeautifulgardens.com).Their Simply Beautiful line of plants has been genetically bred for strength.

OUT: Foxgloves, old roses.

IN: Berry trees, and reveling in their seasonal shows. Oak trees, too.

OUT: Dropping the Latin names of your plants.

IN: Not saying a word.

OUT: Square- or rectangle-shaped patios.

IN: Jagged edges. Think natural materials, such as stone or slate, purposely laid in irregular shapes. Further blur things with cascading plants that border between hard and soft.

HOT: Tough-stuff natural grasses, such as those developed by the experts at Texas A&M. Prairie buffalo grass and hybrid zoysia grasses can tolerate the shade and thrive in the sun, and the high-density Cavalier is thick enough for golf courses and sports fields.

OUT: Do-it-yourself planting and deadheading.

IN: Hiring a landscape service.

OUT: Peonies.

IN: Hydrangeas, buddleias (they're tough and need little care), caryopteris, day lilies, Knock Out roses (they flower June to October), geraniums.

HOT: Low-maintenance Spanish lavender and Italian cypress.

OUT: Property-spanning landscapes.

IN: Gardening in smaller spaces. A corner, a manageable flower bed, one simple gesture out front. For high-rise and city dwellers, easy-care container gardens.

OUT: Fountains that feature umbrella-wielding children. Always.

OUT: Showy decks and lawns.

IN: Intimate seating groupings. On smaller patios or tiny decks, they're perfect for board games or good conversation. Think of them as outdoor rooms.

OUT: Grass and perennials around the pool.

IN: Tiles, bricks, or pavers all the way to the water's edge. No fuss, no cutting, and no clipping, which means this handsome hardscape will help keep your pool cleaner, too.

OUT: Gardening as sport.

IN: Year-round entertaining outside. High-design heaters make it possible almost 365.

HOT: Outdoor fireplaces or fire pits. Earth, sky, and water need that fiery element to complete the picture.

OUT: Xeriscapes of just cacti and rocks.

IN: Xeriscapes that boast wild rye grasses, wildflowers, Siberian irises, camas lily, Quaking aspen, and cottonwoods.

HOT: Small succulents in pots. Euphorbias, aloes, crassulas, and hawthorias. Low in maintenance. Two great sources: The Tucson-based Living Stones Nursery & Plants for the Southwest (www.lithops.com) and California's Mountain Crest Gardens (www.mountaincrestgardens.com).

Dallas-based Rob Brinkley is the national home-design editor for PaperCity. He has written on design, style, and architecture for Modernism Magazine and Esquire.com.

Lawns Online
Three sites where the grass really is greener.

• www.usna.usda.gov: The site of The United States National Arboretum. Go to Gardens & Horticulture, then Gardening Q&As, then Turfgrass. Behold, a bevy of links all about lawns.
• www.yardcare.com: Everything green, from choosing the right grass to advice on weed control, diseases, even lawn-care equipment.
• www.ntep.org: The official home of the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program, where extensive testing is done on grasses from Bermuda to blue.

Hot Clicks
Two good places to surf for all things lawn and garden.

• www.hgtv.com: Home and Garden Television's extensive site. The Gardening page leads to links on books, garden structures, herbs, even wildlife.
• www.gardendesigndirectory.com: The online home of Garden Design magazine. This comprehensive resource directory has everything from kitchen and water gardens to patios and decks. The Sage Advice page leads to Q&As with expert gardeners.

SEVEN things You Need Right Now

1. A piece of Richard Schultz's outdoor furniture. Penned in 1966 for the forward-thinking head of architect-furniture company Knoll, this elegant, eponymous collection celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. (It long ago earned icon status among museums and design cognoscenti.) The aluminum construction and woven polyester-mesh fabric means it'll be beautifying your backyard for many more decades. (215) 679-2222; www.richardschultz.com
2. Hot book: Garden/Garten Design. The Museum of Modern Art offers up this page turner from design publisher teNeues. It is rich with high-style terraces, patios, green spaces, and gardens and includes photographs, floor plans, and perspectives from top landscape gardeners and architects. $24.95. (800) 447-6662; www.momastore.org
3. Smith & Hawken's new Hammered Steel Birdfeeder. Hang this cool, copper-finished swinger from a tree or post and watch who shows up. (Some feathered friends with very good taste no doubt.) $19.99 at Target. (800) 440-0680; www.target.com
4. Let go of the loose cushions: Sutherland's revolutionary French-inspired Louis Soleil outdoor seating collection blurs the boundary between indoors and out. Beautiful enough for your living room, the frames are actually hand-carved teak and upholstered in flow-through foam padding and covered in outdoor fabrics (manufacturer recommends Perennials Outdoor Fabrics), tough enough to withstand Mother Nature. Even the upholstery tacks are stainless steel, so no rusting. Think of them as ooh la la for the outdoors. (800) 717-8325; www.sutherlandteak.com
5. Modern planters from Design Within Reach. The minimalist lines of these oversized pots clean up the container act—less fuss down below means your prized plants really stand out. Roto-molded thermoplastic is UV- and weather-resistant. The three sizes and two colors (silver or white) mean you get to play a very cool game of modernist mix-and-match. $200 to $250. (800) 944-2233; www.dwr.com
6. Intermatic's LZ11771H light. It's a solar-powered landscape light even Frank Lloyd Wright would've loved. The bronze-finished, prairie-style fixture dangles from an angular hook, in a nod to the lighting found around FLW's famous houses. What's more, it's powered by the sun; no wiring or electricity needed. (815) 675-7000; www.intermatic.com
7. Amazing antler furniture from Lazy CF Ranch. Tables, chairs, and lounges that will bring some unbridled animal spirit to even the most modern of backyards. Better yet, it's all made of hand-cast aluminum—even the leather straps are cast into the aluminum. Weather-resistant—and witty, too. (214) 244-4062; www.lazycfranch.com