March in Augusta is the month of before-and-after: dormant tan giving way to green in patches, every yard showing plainly what winter did to it. A transformation is rarely one visit — it is the short early cut, then the trimming back of whatever crept over the walks, then the edges recut where they had gone soft and vague. Each pass takes a little more of the shagginess off until the yard has lines again. Sharp edging does most of the work on the eye; a clean cut at the concrete makes ordinary turf look intentional. By the time the dogwoods open, the same yard is unrecognizable from its February self.