Reliable South

About Reliable South

Out on the western edge of Lakeview, where the 17th Street Canal runs north behind its tall floodwall, September is the month of watching the sky. Reliable South keeps lawns in shape through the warm, wet weeks of hurricane season, when growth runs fastest and one gusty night can scatter leaves and twigs across a whole block. Mowing happens in the clear windows between squalls, followed by trimming and a quick clearing of the walks until the place looks like itself again. There's a Southern grace to a yard set right after rough weather, a sense that the neighborhood has dusted itself off. When the wind drops and the evening turns gentle, Lakeview's lawns are ready for porch-sitting.