Green Gene

About Green Gene

By four in the afternoon the breeze in Woods Cove turns and comes in off the water, cool against the stucco walls and the little squares of lawn behind them. Green Gene works that back half of the day, mowing and trimming while the light goes long and low over the rooftops. Lawns this close to the surf take a beating from wind and sand, so the routine is patient: even cuts, careful edging along the seawalls and stairs, weed control before anything gets a foothold. Feeding is measured out to match how hard the sun has been working. When the mower shuts off, what is left is a small green room with a clean line drawn all the way around it.