Every spring the hillside above Carlsbad erupts in ranunculus, some fifty acres of stripes in red, gold and pink that slow traffic on the freeway below. Western Gardens Landscaping brings landscaping and lawn care to the same city, working on a smaller canvas but chasing a similar effect: color and green laid down in lines that look like they belong. Down in Carlsbad Village, older cottages sit a few blocks from the seawall, their front lawns soaking up the onshore breeze. Keeping those yards sharp is a matter of mowing evenly, trimming each border so it follows the walk without a waver, and clearing beds so the plantings have room to show off. Finish the day on the bluff at Tamarack Beach, watch the sun drop into the Pacific, and walk home past a lawn that looks the way Carlsbad feels in April.