We gave up on grass years ago, and nobody's more citified than us. In front of our narrow, tall town house, we have a handkerchief-sized garden -- basically a raised bed -- with flowering perennials that don't mind not getting any sun until after one o'clock in the afternoon. The back is a patio surrounded by a six-foot fence, so it's hostas and astilbe back there, too.

Grass is highly over-rated if you don't have little kids who need play space.