April in Loudon smells like turned earth, and the beds along the older streets near the rail bridge are the first to get their spring refresh. Southern Mulch Company works that season hard — mulch spread and shaped into clean beds, lawns mowed and trimmed as the growth takes off, walks blown down at the end of every visit. There is a real pleasure in the moment a dark bed line meets bright new grass and the whole yard suddenly reads finished. Through summer the mowing holds its rhythm; through fall the leaves come out and the beds are set up for cold. The seasons here are generous, and they ask for company.