West of Pennington the roads climb between hedgerows into thin red shale soil, ground that grows a stubborn and honest kind of grass. Chris Hoppe Lawn Service LLC cuts it on those hill lots and down on the flat borough yards alike — mowing, edging, trimming, and clearing off whatever a season leaves scattered. September is the best of it: the heat lets go, color comes back into the turf, and a fresh cut holds its look for days. Fall cleanups then follow the oaks and maples down, load by load, until the lawn lies bare and even and ready to sleep. It is unglamorous work, and it is the whole difference between a yard and a lawn.