The thaw around Tustin and Clam Lake Township is a slow brown business — snowbanks shrinking into the ditches, grass lying flat and grey where the plow piles sat all winter. Solid Ground Lawncare is out in that first mild week, raking the matting loose, clearing off sand and sticks, giving a tired yard the chance to stand back up. From there it becomes a summer of mowing and trimming, week after week, with the edges kept sharp along the drives and walks. Late in the year the leaves come down over these sandy lots and get gathered before rain packs them into a mat. Watching a beaten-down lawn come back green is a good enough reason to keep at it.