It's hard to find even a single dandelion on the island of Coronado. Some of the scrupulously manicured lawns around town look so perfect you might think they're too good to be real. And you might just be right.

Synthetic lawns are the new craze - and with good reason. Beyond the obvious benefit of lower maintenance, artificial grass is a durable and practical alternative to the real thing. Ironically, it's the environmentalists that have lots to cheer about as natural grass makes way for the ersatz stuff. Artificial grass conserves precious water, increasingly important in arid areas like Coronado. It utilizes recycled post-consumer waste like old tires and sneakers, reduces pollution caused by gas-powered lawn equipment, and helps keep fertilizers and weed-killing chemicals from entering the groundwater.

But how does it look?

Wander toward the end of Olive Avenue at Alameda and you can't miss the blue house with the "tipsy roof" (see cover). The charming two-year-old house was built and furnished by local general contractor, Cara Clancy. Her exquisite taste and attention to detail, including the self-designed trick with the shingles, is evident in many tasteful touches - right down to the artificial grass.

"Go ahead and touch it," Clancy says. "People drive by all the time and stop to feel the grass."

This is not the indoor/outdoor carpet of old. Technological advances have produced a product that is acceptable even to the most discerning customers. The blades, made of polyethylene or polypropylene, are softer and have a more realistic texture and coloring than the old plastic carpets.

Clancy and her family have been living in the house as she put the finishing touches on the home and readied it for sale. "This is the first one of my homebuilding projects where I've installed fake grass," she says. "I love it. I'm going to put it in my next house, too." Clancy is allergic to real grass and enjoys the ability to spend time in her yard, even in her bare feet. "The kids don't track dirt into the house, and if they spill anything messy on the grass, I just clean it up with some 409."

The designer furnishings throughout her showcase home extend outside; comfy upholstered lounges surround the outdoor fireplace. "It's a real plus that we don't have to move the outdoor furniture to mow or water the grass," Clancy says.

She hasn't done any maintenance in a year. The only disadvantage? "It does get a bit hot underfoot in the late summer when the sun shines on it directly," Clancy says.

Landlords and part-time residents are using artificial grass for practical reasons. Jean and Howard Somers found that making sure their garden stayed watered and mowed while they were back home in Phoenix was one of the headaches of long distance ownership. Two years ago they decided to rip up the lawn and lay down artificial turf at their A Avenue home.

"My husband was a hard sell," Jean said, "that is, until he found out we could make the back yard into a putting green." The installers used the same product in front and back and then "mowed" them to the length the Somers wanted. "I like the way the front looks like newly mown lawn, and it glistens like it's just been watered," Jean says.

Even though they weren't home when it was installed, the next-door neighbors reported back that all went smoothly in their absence. Since that time, the Somers have moved to Coronado permanently, and have come to love their easy-care grass.

But artificial turf is not completely maintenance free. The Somers periodically have to rake the longer grass in front like a shag rug so it doesn't get matted. "And every so often I actually have to weed it," Jean says. "Pods drop and birds bring in seeds that can take root in the turf."

Perhaps the boom in installations around Coronado is due in part to the island's small lots with smaller lawns. Why haul out the mower for a patch the size of a postage stamp? Plus the synthetic alternative withstands any less-than-perfect soil conditions.

If the discerning owners of some of Coronado's most beautiful homes are installing artificial lawns, then the rest of us should start paying attention. Ed and Kim Stansler moved here in 1997 from Santa Barbara, and tore down their house to build their dream home a few years later. The couple installed synthetic lawn last August in front of their stately new Craftsmanstyle home.

"It's my way of being conservative," Stansler says. "I don't waste water and don't need to have it mowed. It's easy to maintain. A quick rake and blow keep it looking great. Every once in a while I spray it with a little water to get the dust off."

The Stanslers chose the top-of-theline product from their installer, liking the realistic looks and performance, and the accompanying guarantee. The lawn was installed on a four-inch layer of crushed rock, and they haven't had any problem with drainage ever since. Even after a heavy rainfall there isn't a puddle in sight.

"And dogs don't bother with it," Stansler says, standing out on his curb. "That's another added benefit."

Even if dogs did do their business on the artificial grass, it wouldn't turn brown like real grass does. As a matter of fact, many homeowners are installing artificial grass in their dog runs because it's so easy to maintain - and Fido won't track dirt back into the house. Urine drains through the infill material (sand and/or rubber) more easily than compacted dirt. Solid waste can be picked up, the spot cleaned with a squirt of the hose or a spritz of disinfectant, and there will be fewer flies and odor to contend with.

But is it expensive? Installing synthetic turf can cost between $5 and $10 per square foot. When you figure in the time and cost saved on maintenance, plus not having to periodically rejuvenate your lawn, it turns out to be a wise financial decision too; most homeowners recoup their costs within a few years.

It's no wonder, now that manmade materials - from vinyl siding to silk indoor plants - are being welcomed into our homes and gardens, that the new generation of faux lawn is making a strong showing around homes in Coronado. And with products available that will last 15 to 30 years, that adds up to a whole lot of weekends free from mowing the lawn.