These blocks were potato ground once, and now Franklin Square runs house after house from Hempstead Turnpike out toward New Hyde Park Road, each with its own square of grass to keep. Nassau County summers come humid and the growth is quick, so the mowing holds a rhythm and the trimming keeps hedges and foundations sharp. Edging is what people see from the street, that clean seam where the lawn meets the walk and the driveway apron cut straight. Come November the leaves stack against the curbs and the cleanup runs until the block is bare. On lawns this small, every line counts, so every line gets set on purpose.