October is the loudest month in Southfield: wind out of the northwest, oak and maple letting go all at once, and every gutter along the Lathrup Village border filled by Thursday. Nationwide Landscaping, LLC spends it moving leaves — off the turf, out of the beds, away from the walks — so the grass goes into winter with light on it instead of under a wet mat. The rest of the year is the steady part: mowing on a set rotation, trimming, edging, mulch refreshed once the ground warms. Yards on these blocks are square and neighborly, fence to fence, and they show every shortcut, which is a good reason never to take one. A fall cleanup done properly is the difference between a lawn that wakes up on its own in April and one that has to be coaxed.