Come October the heat finally breaks over Sylvan Hills, the air turns dry and blue, and the ground goes soft enough to work — which in Georgia is the real beginning of the lawn year. Georgia Lawn Care, Inc. spends it pulling cores out of that stubborn red clay, spreading seed into the openings, and letting the cool nights do the rest. The rest of the calendar is mowing on schedule, edges kept honest, and the leaves off the turf before they mat it down. Around Perkerson Park the lots are generous and the pines are tall, so the fall cleanup is a genuine undertaking. Getting it right in autumn is what makes the following spring look effortless.