There are gardens at Snug Harbor that have been coaxed along for generations, and a little of that ambition rubs off on the north shore blocks around them. Empire, Landscaping & Garden brings it to ordinary front yards in New Brighton, Livingston and West Brighton — mowing, edging, trimming, planting and garden bed work, mulching, cleanups when the season turns. A garden asks for attention on its own schedule and repays it where anyone can see, which is a fair enough trade. The pleasure is a border that reads as intentional: mulch dark, edge cut true, the lawn running up to it without a ragged inch. Some yards take a couple of summers to get there, and they are glad to be around for them.