October in McHenry is an oak-colored month: bur oaks holding their rust-brown leaves long after the maples have quit, and lawns that need one more cut before the ground goes hard. Apple Leaf Landscaping Co. mows, trims and edges through the green season, then works the cleanups until the last leaf is off the grass and out of the beds. When the ground does go hard, the same crew turns to snow — plowing drives, clearing walkways and salting the ice that lingers in the shade. Both halves of the year come down to one idea: property that looks tended, whatever month it is. The routes take in McHenry, Wonder Lake, Ringwood and Spring Grove.