April in Ottawa arrives as redbud, purple along the fencerows and the river road before much else has leafed out. Handy Maid services starts the season then, on the close-set yards near downtown where the mowing goes fast and the trimming is everything. Edges along walks, alleys and fence lines; clippings swept back off the concrete; the first cleanup of the year carried away. Small yards are unforgiving — every missed corner shows — and getting one exactly right is its own quiet reward. Through spring and on into the heat, Ottawa's in-town blocks keep that looked-after look.