The first mow of the year in New Haven usually comes the week after the frost quits, when the village blocks north of the tracks turn from straw to green in about four days. We start there and work outward into the township, cutting high that first pass and lower as the season settles in. Trimming around walks, patios and brick edges is where a yard is won or lost, so that part gets the minutes it needs. Through the summer it is a steady rotation of mowing, edging and carting the cuttings away. By late fall the same properties get a last cut and a full leaf cleanup, so winter arrives to a place already put in order.