Spring showers and abundant sunshine bring beautiful green grass ... and that grass is going to have to be mowed. Small yards are ideal for old fashioned reel mowers, which rely on blades powered by your own energy. Reel mowers are smaller than bulky gas and electric mowers and you can pretend it's the 1950's while you push one around.

At Brimfield, my big score was a 1960's coffee and console table set in a light blonde wood. I snatched up the two pieces for $80 total, assuming they would be fun DIY projects to work on this summer. See, my living room is mostly dark wood, and I thought the pale pieces would never work with my style. But then I got them home, and to my surprise, really loved the fair finish. Inspired by the serene spaces above, I'm going to give the sandy shade a try.

I have a couple pairs of white pants that I always look forward to pulling out of the closet right around Memorial Day. Inspired by my love of white apparel for summer, here's a roundup of white pots and planters. Think of them as white pants for your plants.

It may be Monday but I'm already thinking about the weekend. With Memorial Day coming up in a few days, my mind is preoccupied with thoughts of summer grilling and weekend parties. That means it's time to shop for new summer entertaining essentials, starting with a fun modern grill.

Stripes and brights are no stranger to summer. Crisp white and navy are a classic nautical combo; neons and look-at-me brights have been big for a few seasons now. When their powers combine, a happy outdoor space packs punch without breaking the budget. Here are some favorite bright striped pieces under $100 for your patio or garden:

Figueira Swing Chair

• $149
• CB2

Part of the Novogratz's Brasil Collection, this colorful, relaxing hangout reflects the family's carefree days at their Brasilian vacation home. I wouldn't mind channeling some of that. If you're really adventurous, hang it indoors.

A few weeks ago Jason wrote about blue outdoor furniture to match the springtime of his dreams, and now that it's finally sunny here in Chicago, I've decided to compile a roundup of yellow furniture to match mine. Here's a list of ten sunny tables, bistro sets, chairs, lounges, and rockers, all for under $200.

I read this morning on one of my favorite garden blogs (Black Walnut Dispatch) that it was once a very common thing for gardeners to avoid the color magenta because people associated it with poison —  arsenic was once commonly used in pesticides, giving crops that had been dusted with it a magenta color. 

Since you only get one chance to make a good first impression, make guests smile with a charming welcome mat. Whether you're greeting guests with a simple "hi" or a silhouette of the four-legged member of your family, a good door mat and a handsome door will put your best foot forward.

For thousand of years, urns have been lending their classic design to gardens all over the world.  From the early Greek and Roman gardens to formal English landscapes, urns are the most common and enduring of decorative ornament to be incorporated into gardens throughout history.  Urns, with their timeless and stately appeal, are one of the rare garden design elements that can add architectural interest purely on their own.