Ornamental Outdoor Furniture at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

GOING GREEN: Eco-friendly style is gaining in popularity, but it's not always easy to find. Here in the Valley it can be had at Modern Outdoor, based in Van Nuys. Their furniture has a sleek aesthetic with clean, simple lines. And one key material they use is Ipe, a sustainably harvested wood that's three times as dense as teak. "It's one of the best woods you can use to make outdoor furniture," says company vice president Brett Himmel. "Our furniture is designed for heavy commercial use. A 20-mile-per-hour gust of wind won't blow your chair into the neighbor's yard."

"We sell more double lounges than single," says Brendan Barry, owner of Barong Furniture and accessories in West Hollywood, whose outdoor furniture offerings are primarily teak and iron. What does this say about the L.A. lifestyle? "Let's just say people like to cuddle," he says with a laugh.

Most urban gardens must have some form of physical barri around them, partly to keep the world out and partly to the garden in. A boundary also defines the limits of a garden and p* a backdrop for displaying plants and other features such as statues and ornamental outdoor furniture. Most forms of boundary can be used to support climbing plants of one sort or anol a decorative effect; you can even grow a climbing rose or clematis up a hedge.