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The Best Lawn Care Services Of 2023

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A lush green lawn is a thing of beauty, but the reality is all that beauty takes work. Mowing, fertilizing, aerating, and irrigating (not to mention regular treatment for weeds and pests) can be time-consuming. For some, caring for a lawn can be a labor of love, but for many, hiring a lawn care company will save time and money and provide peace of mind.

Whether it's weekly lawn maintenance or a seasonal cleanup, a lawn care company can keep a lawn healthy, weed-free, and full of curb appeal. For those considering hiring a professional and searching for "landscape maintenance near me," this guide will help determine the best lawn care service for their needs.

  • BEST OVERALL: TruGreen
  • RUNNER-UP: Lawn Love
  • BEST FOR DIY: Sunday Lawn Care
  • FULL-SERVICE LANDSCAPING: The Grounds Guys
  • ECO-FRIENDLY PICK: Lawn Doctor
  • ALSO CONSIDER: LawnStarter
  • What to Consider When Choosing One of the Best Lawn Care Services

    Before hiring any lawn care services, there are several factors to consider. These include aspects of the customer experience, like scheduling and pricing, as well as the lawn's needs. For homeowners searching for "yard care near me," they'll want to evaluate these aspects of lawn care services.

    Service Area

    When considering hiring a lawn care company, a customer will first want to determine if the company services their area. There's no benefit for customers to look into a company if it's not available to perform work in their area.

    Scheduling

    All companies require booking services in advance. Homeowners can call or email some companies to make an appointment. Other companies allow customers to manage an account, including scheduling, online. Before hiring a company for any recurring service, customers will want to find out how that company handles booking.

    In addition, the time of year will factor into scheduling. Spring and fall typically require seasonal work, such as leaf cleanup and fertilizing. A lawn may grow faster in the late spring and summer and require more mowing. Ultimately, the frequency of lawn care services will be determined by the lawn's needs and the homeowner's budget.

    It is also important to find out if a company makes one-time visits or only offers recurring services. Because many customers opt for recurring appointments, it can be difficult for lawn care services to schedule one-time appointments.

    Services Offered

    Most lawn care services offer mowing, feeding, aerating, reseeding, and basic pest control. Some companies offer additional services like tree and shrub care, landscaping, or snow removal. These additional services can be a bonus for a customer who prefers to bundle their yard maintenance into one visit or stick with one company for various seasonal outdoor maintenance work.

    Quotes and Pricing

    As a customer, knowing what the costs are up front can be a deciding factor in whether or not to hire a service. Many lawn care professionals offer up-front pricing and free estimates or quotes. These quotes can be delivered instantly online or via phone or email.

    In addition, companies that offer services outside of lawn maintenance may have different pricing tiers for a customer who bundles services or customers who have recurring services.

    Guarantees

    Customers want to know that a company stands by its work, so guarantees are important. Each lawn care service will have different criteria for its guarantee. For example, a company may stipulate that any complaint from the customer be filed within a 24-hour window after service, while another company may give the customer up to 2 weeks. In general, a satisfaction guarantee means that the service or professional will return to rectify whatever the issue is at no cost to the customer or offer a complete refund. Customers will want to remember that any satisfaction guarantee is given at the lawn care company's discretion.

    Our Top Picks

    When evaluating the best lawn care services, we looked for parameters such as the number of locations or availability, range of services offered, ease of booking and scheduling, and what type of guarantees the company offered. For homeowners searching for "lawn maintenance near me," here are some of the best options.

    Photo: trugreen.Com

    Why It Made the Cut: TruGreen has nationwide availability, a range of service plans, and an easy-to-use scheduling and billing system to make the company a must-consider for lawn care services.

    TruGreen is a lawn care company located in 48 states and Washington, D.C. It offers an array of lawn care services, including lawn aeration, overseeding, pest control, and soil amendment, although lawn mowing is not offered. Additional services beyond maintenance include mosquito control and prevention as well as tree and shrub care, fertilization, disease treatment, and insect control. TruGreen offers customers a wide range of service plans, from the basic TruHealth package to the all-inclusive TruSignature option. This wide range of services means that customers can use TruGreen to tackle multiple outdoor needs.

    While the company offers a satisfaction guarantee, the website is unclear about which services the guarantee applies to. The TruGreen website is user-friendly, and customers can manage their appointments and payments online. TruGreen also offers an intuitive mobile app where users can schedule appointments. A robust library of lawn care information and resources helps customers feel more knowledgeable and confident. The scheduling process offers a brief question-and-answer section for customers about their lawn care needs to help them find a tailored maintenance schedule, and all payment happens online. Services can also be booked over the phone.

    Specs

  • Service area: 48 states and Washington, D.C.
  • Scheduling: Online or phone
  • Services offered: Lawn aeration, overseeding, pest control, soil amendment, tree and shrub
  • Quotes: Instant online quote
  • Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee
  • Pros

  • Wide coverage area spanning 48 states and Washington, D.C.
  • Wide range of service plans that fit most needs
  • Straightforward instant quote, booking, and online payment systems
  • Easy-to-use mobile app for scheduling services
  • Comprehensive online library of lawn-care resources
  • Cons

  • Unclear guarantee information
  • Lawn mowing service not offered
  • Photo: lawnlove.Com

    Why It Made the Cut: Lawn Love offers a transparent pricing guide and guarantees its lawn care professionals are bonded and insured so customers can feel secure in who they're hiring.

    Lawn Love is a site that will source vetted, local lawn care services. These professionals are certified to be bonded and insured so customers can have extra peace of mind. Lawn Love offers mowing, fertilization, aeration, weed control, yard cleanup, and tree and shrub care. Customers can also book gardening services through the website as well as additional seasonal services such as gutter cleaning and leaf cleanup. Lawn Love offers up to a 30 percent discount for customers who bundle services.

    Lawn Love's booking process takes place online and delivers an instant quote. Lawn Love also has a transparent pricing guide, so customers know that pricing is consistent and can accurately budget for services. Customers can easily pay for and manage their services online. Lawn Love offers a satisfaction guarantee for customers that file any complaints within 24 hours of the service.

    Specs

  • Service area: 39 states and Washington, D.C.
  • Scheduling: Online
  • Services offered: Mowing, fertilization, aeration, weed control, yard cleanup, tree and shrub
  • Quotes: Instant online quote
  • Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee within 24 hours
  • Pros

  • All service professionals are certified to be bonded and insured
  • Straightforward instant quote, booking, and online payment
  • Transparent pricing guide available
  • Customers can save up to 30 percent by bundling services
  • Cons

  • Customers must file any complaints within 24 hours
  • Photo: getsunday.Com

    Why It Made the Cut: Sunday Lawn Care offers a subscription service that empowers a homeowner to DIY their lawn care with conveniently delivered products tailored to that lawn's specific needs.

    Available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., Sunday lawn care uses the results of a diagnostic test combined with location data to deliver tailored lawn care products on a seasonal subscription basis, which makes it relatively affordable. Customers with lawns smaller than 13,500 square feet most clearly benefit from Sunday's offerings, and those who sign up for a year receive the products they need only when it's time to apply it in four installments. The easy-to-navigate online account helps guide those newer to lawn care through the process. It also has more thorough usage instructions than what's included in each package.

    Sunday aims to boost customers' lawn health with affordable, convenient products made from eco-conscious, sustainable ingredients. Sunday has other products and an array of live plants and trees it sells, which are suggested to a customer based on climate and other factors.

    Specs

  • Service area: 50 states and Washington, D.C.
  • Scheduling: Online
  • Services offered: Subscription Smart Lawn Plan; live plants, trees, lawn care, pest control, garden essentials
  • Quotes: Instant online quote
  • Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee
  • Pros

  • Streamlined yet comprehensive custom lawn plan process
  • Relatively affordable pricing per season
  • Customized live plant and tree suggestions based on customer's location
  • Eco-conscious product ingredients
  • Cons

  • Oversimplified product usage instructions
  • Maximum recommended coverage limit of 13,500 square feet
  • Photo: groundsguys.Com

    Why It Made the Cut: The Grounds Guys is a full-service landscaping company that offers a wide range of lawn and landscaping services so homeowners can hire one business to take care of all of their yards' needs.

    The Grounds Guys have a full range of services, including lawn mowing, fertilization, sod installation, and reseeding. The company also offers irrigation, gutter cleaning, tree and shrub care, hardscaping, and landscaping. Snow and ice management are available in the winter, and they'll even install holiday lights. All of these services mean that customers can conveniently bundle almost all of their outdoor needs through one company.

    The Grounds Guys have locations in 42 states, and customers can schedule services via email or over the phone. The company does not currently offer online account management. In addition to offering a 2-week satisfaction guarantee, the company provides yard status and quality reports after each visit so a customer can feel knowledgeable and empowered about the state of their yard.

    Specs

  • Service area: 42 states
  • Scheduling: Online or phone
  • Services offered: Mowing, pest control, fertilization, snow management, irrigation, gutters, tree and shrub
  • Quotes: Email or phone
  • Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee within 14 days
  • Pros

  • Full-service landscaping company
  • Wide range of lawn and yard care services available
  • Yard status and quality reports delivered to clients
  • Cons

  • No option for online account management
  • Photo: lawndoctor.Com

    Why It Made the Cut: Lawn Doctor offers a full range of lawn care services, including conventional and organic lawn care treatment plans so homeowners can make more sustainable choices regarding yard maintenance.

    Lawn Doctor has a presence in 40 states. Its lawn maintenance services include mowing, fertilization, seeding, and aeration. The company also offers pest control, including mosquito and tick treatments, along with general tree and shrub care. Lawn Doctor has options for organic lawn treatments, which many customers with pets and children may prefer as they can carry less risk than conventional treatments.

    While the company offers online account management, customers can only schedule appointments over the phone. Lawn Doctor's satisfaction guarantee comes with no specific time frame, so customers don't have to rush to make any complaints following a service.

    Specs

  • Service area: 40 states
  • Scheduling: Phone
  • Services offered: Mowing, fertilization, seeding, aeration, pest control, tree and shrub
  • Quotes: Email or phone
  • Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee with no specified time frame
  • Pros

  • Preset or custom annual maintenance plans available
  • Organic lawn treatments available
  • Comprehensive lawn and perimeter pest control system
  • Cons

  • Scheduling only available over the phone
  • Photo: lawnstarter.Com

    Why It Made the Cut: LawnStarter offers customers comprehensive lawn care maintenance through a convenient app to make scheduling lawn care a no-brainer.

    LawnStarter is an aggregator that sources local certified, insured lawn care professionals with an average of 12 years' experience, according to the site. LawnStarter lawn care service offers a convenient way to maintain and schedule services via its easy-to-use mobile app and online—the site claims that the process takes less than 5 minutes to get started. The company offers instant online quotes and has a satisfaction guarantee with no specified time frame.

    LawnStarter offers mowing, aeration, sodding, and fertilization of the lawn, as well as yard cleanup, pressure washing, and other general landscaping services. Customers can view the full-service lawn care list once they are in the process of booking. LawnStarter claims that there are no service contracts; however, it also states that customers cannot book one-time lawn mowing appointments. Customers can enter their address online to determine if LawnStarter is available in their area. For customers looking to make lawn care as automatic and hands-off as possible, LawnStarter is a great option.

    Specs

  • Service area: Not specified
  • Scheduling: Online
  • Services offered: Mowing, yard cleanup, aeration, fertilization, leaf removal, pressure washing
  • Quotes: Instant online quote
  • Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee with no specified time frame
  • Pros

  • All service professionals are certified to be insured with an average of 12 years' experience
  • Easy-to-use mobile app available to schedule services
  • Additional services like pressure washing available
  • Cons

  • Somewhat unclear one-time service guidelines
  • Full service list is only visible once customer is in the booking process
  • Our Verdict

    Because of its availability in nearly every state and its comprehensive range of services, TruGreen is the top pick for the best lawn care services overall. Lawn Love is the runner-up for its transparent pricing and discounts for bundling services.

    How We Chose the Best Lawn Care Services

    We researched dozens of lawn service companies across the U.S. And focused on companies with a multi-state presence. The final list was selected after evaluating relevant factors for each lawn care service company, including the range of lawn care services, additional services, pricing, scheduling, account management, and satisfaction guarantees. Companies were given awards based on their strengths, and companies that didn't meet our criteria were not included.

    Before You Hire One of the Best Lawn Care Services

    Before searching for "best lawn care service near me" or "lawn mowing near me," it's important for customers to know what to expect when hiring. These companies offer a specialized service with a focus on lawn care. A homeowner may be looking for landscaping, which involves more planting and construction. In that case, they will want to verify that a lawn care service offers landscaping, or they will need to hire a separate company. Homeowners with extensive gardens may want to speak with a lawn care company before hiring their services to ensure their plants are safe.

    Cost of Hiring One of the Best Lawn Care Services

    Lawn care costs can vary depending on several factors, including the health of the existing lawn, the type of treatments needed, the lawn's size, and any additional services beyond routine mowing and fertilizing. In addition, geographic location can affect the overall price due to variations in the cost of living and minimum wage.

    Homeowners can expect to pay around $130 for lawn maintenance, with a range from $50 to $210. This is typically the cost per visit, and the majority of services during the growing season (spring and summer) are at least biweekly. While some lawn care professionals charge a flat service rate for regular service, others charge by the hour. Per lawn care pro, the rate per hour ranges from $25 to $60. Lawn aeration costs and lawn mowing costs are roughly $130 each. Customers looking to install a yard full of new sod can anticipate paying between $400 and $4,500 for new lawn costs.

    The Advantages of Using One of the Best Lawn Care Services

    Professional lawn care services ensure a lawn is kept on a schedule that maintains its appearance and health. From routine mowing and feeding to aeration and irrigation, a lawn care service provides the specialized care that grass requires. Lawn care services can also help tackle problems like a heat-stressed lawn or patches in the grass.

    If a homeowner prefers to do some lawn care, such as mowing, but they aren't sure how and when to fertilize, they can work with a lawn care service for a plan that suits their specific needs. Many homeowners may like to hire a lawn care service seasonally as well.

    Some other benefits of using a lawn care service include:

  • Treating lawn issues effectively and safely.
  • Saving homeowners time and energy.
  • Using preventive measures to avoid future lawn problems.
  • FAQs

    Every lawn has different needs. But there are some common questions that many customers searching for "yard maintenance near me" or "lawn care near me" have before hiring a new lawn care service.

    Q. When should I use a lawn care service?

    One of the best landscaping companies or best lawn care services can be used for routine maintenance, such as fertilizing, weed control, and mowing, with the option of weekly, biweekly, or monthly visits. You may want to hire a lawn care company for seasonal cleanup in the fall or spring. You may also need to hire a lawn care specialist to restore diseased or unhealthy grass.

    Q. How much does a lawn care service cost on average?

    The average national cost for lawn care services is around $130 per visit.

    Q. Does a lawn care service come with its own tools?

    Yes. A lawn care service will provide everything needed to do the job.

    Q. Do I need to book a lawn care service in advance?

    Yes. Customers will need to book services in advance.

    Q. Can I pay in advance for a lawn care service?

    It depends; every service has a different policy. Some will request a deposit, others bill after service is complete, and some might have a flat rate per month.


    A Steelhead Obsession Dries Up

    Dylan Tomine has a passion for steelhead trout. Or an obsession. Or an addiction.

    His steelhead passion has brought him close to beautiful places, driven him far from stability, and lost him some loving relationships.

    This is a story about how an obsession can take priority over everything. How it can provide both purpose and isolation. And how it isn't guaranteed to last forever.

    Related Links:

    Dylan Tomine

    Wild Fish Conservancy

    Transcript:

    Shin Yu Narration: As a writer, I'm no stranger to obsession. Throughout my 20s and 30s, I would carefully arrange my year and work schedule to be able to leave my boyfriend for one to three months at a time to go off into the woods of New Hampshire and write poems. I didn't worry about my relationship with my partner. What was critical to me was my relationship to writing, a practice that was core to my sense of self and identity and meaning making.

    Dylan Tomine has a very different kind of obsession, but one that is just as deeply important to him.

    Dylan Tomine: You know, all of my memories, somehow center around fish or fishing.

    Shin Yu Narration: Dylan is a lifelong fly fisherman with a deep love for fishing steelhead trout. A steelhead is a migratory trout that is among the most prized sports fish in the world.

    Dylan Tomine: Steelhead are super cool because, if you're a fisherman, it gives you an opportunity to fish for big, powerful ocean fish in streams where you would normally find trout. So, it's kind of a rare combination of big ocean fish in smaller freshwater situations.

    Shin Yu Narration: A deep fixation with any one thing can take us to a new depth of knowing, within ourselves, even as that thing may further take us away from loved ones. But what do we give up when we pursue our preoccupation? And how do we reconcile both the bad and the good of an obsession?

    Dylan Tomine sees more than an ordinary species in steelhead. These fish, which migrate to the ocean after being born, eventually return to their homewaters, to spawn. The somatic memory of their ancestral place resides deep within them. They remember home, just like humans.

    Dylan Tomine: They're an amazing fish because they live or return to all different kinds of rivers from like tundra rivers in the Russian Arctic and, and in Alaska to, high desert streams. Um, you know, in Eastern Washington, you know, sagebrush and rim rock country, and then the coastal rainforest rivers of the Olympic Peninsula and big valley rivers like the Columbia. They don't live in ugly places. So if you're chasing them, it forces you to go to really interesting, beautiful, natural places.

    Shin Yu Narration: Welcome to "Ten Thousand Things," a podcast about modern artifacts of Asian American Life. I'm Shin Yu Pai. Today, the steelhead trout.

    Dylan Tomine: My first memory of steelhead fishing was going with my dad to go fish. We were actually trout fishing with lightweight equipment. He, I guess accidentally or as a bonus hooked a 33-inch steelhead. It took so long to fight it because we had this light trout tackle at one point the line got wrapped around a rock and he had to wade out to free it.

    And he handed me the rod and when the line came free, I felt this just surge of adrenaline from what a huge, powerful fish it was.

    Shin Yu: What did it look like? Did you hold it or do you remember what it was like seeing this fish for the first time?

    Dylan Tomine: I completely remember measuring it later. It was 33 inches and this was way before the days of catch and release. And so we killed it and brought it home to eat.

    I couldn't stop going over to where it was lying on the bank for the rest of the day to look at it cuz it was so beautiful. It was black on the back and chrome on the sides with just the faint hint of kind of a pearlescent pink down the side, like rainbow trout have.

    It was gorgeous.

    Shin Yu Narration: As a kid, Dylan went on fishing trips with his family. If the weather was bad, he'd wait it out in the car with his mom while his mom read to him. He'd wipe the condensation from the window to spy his father walking towards the car, fishing rod in one hand, and a burlap sack of fish slung over one shoulder — salmon tails sticking out of the sack. After his parents divorced, his mother continued to support his interests. She'd drive him to the river to fish, while she studied, the car filled with her books and papers related to her doctoral studies in psychology.

    Some of Dylan's most vivid childhood memories are of fishing with his father, testing out new fishing lures, and hooking steelhead. In fact, he wrote a whole book about steelhead that won a National Outdoor Book award. The routines and rhythms of fishing are deeply engrained in Dylan.

    Dylan Tomine: Typically it starts, early in the morning like when it's still dark so if I was really on it, I'd have the car loaded up the night before and I would pack a quick lunch and get in the car and drive through the dark forest.

    And a lot of times it's raining and bad weather. A lot of times it involves fast-food drive-through breakfast somewhere along the way. And then arriving at the river in daylight and walking to the river, there's ferns and brambles and red twig dogwoods and that sort of undergrowth.

    Shin Yu Narration: The Skykomish River is a 29-mile-long river just west of the Cascades. It meanders along the Pacific Crest Trail through forest wilderness and canyon. The river is a popular point for rafting and kayaking, but it is also a place where people go to fish. The Skykomish is home to chinook, coho, pink salmon, bull trout, and steelhead. It's also Dylan's home river.

    Dylan Tomine: It's a beautiful broad valley river. It's quite large as rivers go. It has mostly a cobblestone riverbed and bottom, and so there's lots of riffling sound usually rain falling on you when you're fishing. It's not especially cold; it's kind of a maritime climate, so it's cool and wet.

    There's a specific smell of wet stones and alder trees that's kind of a sweet smell.

    Shin Yu Narration: The river offers its visitors a brush with wild beauty. But for the angler with an agenda, the true payoff is in catching a steelhead. That prize can be elusive. Hours are spent standing in a frigid river, casting a line. The activity grows monotonous, futile. But then there's that moment when patience offers up everything that you were waiting for.

    Dylan Tomine: It's a crazy person's pursuit because you repeat the same action over and over again hoping for a different outcome. A lot of it is wading in the water, anywhere from knee to waist deep and usually bad weather and casting over and over and over again. Then when you hook one, it's a huge moment of adrenaline and celebration and excitement.

    Shin Yu Narration: Dylan is not the only one obsessed with steelhead. He's part of a community of steelhead obsessives who go to extreme lengths to pursue their passion.

    Dylan Tomine: You know, people give up their careers or their families or their marriages, in kind of this manic pursuit of these fish.

    People become so addicted to the pursuit that, the other things that we consider adult responsibilities or even things most normal people enjoy, kind of fall out of your life.

    Shin Yu Narration: Many things fell out of Dylan's life. He arranged his schedule so that he could go fishing every day. He quit a stable day job to become a freelance writer, so that he could have a more flexible schedule. But instead of building up a steady clientele or portfolio, he worked just enough to afford a diet of pizza and ramen. And to pay for beer and gas to get to the river.

    Dylan Tomine: It was pretty easy to just direct everything as far as my real life, adult life, into the service of just being available to fish whenever the conditions were the best.

    Every time I start to describe it like this, I can just see that it really is an addiction like every other one.

    Shin Yu Narration: There's a fine line that separates obsession from addiction. A person may not even notice when they cross it, as caught up as they are in the adrenaline and pleasure of the moment and obsession. But it's the social fallout that may sound the loudest alarm bell..

    Dylan Tomine: If you choose to be ready to fish whenever it's good, you're kind of saying no to the responsibility people expect from you to hold a steady job so, I think there's certainly a financial sacrifice involved.

    but also, you know, there was a time when I was supposed to help my girlfriend move. And the fishing was really good, and so I just didn't show up.

    I missed out on a lot of birthdays and anniversaries and things that are important to most "normal" people. There were family gatherings, get togethers that I just didn't show up for or had some lame excuse for because the fishing was good.

    There's definitely social repercussions around sacrificing those sort of things.

    Shin Yu: In thinking about your obsession, do you feel like there were ways in which you benefited from it or that, you know, there were things that your obsession gave you that, you know, were rewarding?

    Dylan Tomine: It's really wonderful to have a single-minded purpose in your life. So much of modern life is distraction. The texts are coming in and the news alerts are coming in and you need to check your email and there's bills to pay and the lawn to mow and dishes to wash and all those sort of, I'm just cataloging the life of a single dad right now.

    It's really rare I think when we can just focus on one thing and when you have an obsession, there's actually kind of this peace of mind. The other things don't matter. You can really focus deeply and powerfully on this one thing, the object of your obsession. So I think there's a definite benefit to that in that it's one of the few times anybody in the modern world can feel really single-minded.

    Shin Yu Narration: In the early 2000s, the steelhead population reached dangerously low levels. For the first time, the Skykomish River closed for the spring season. This was a devastating blow and life-changing moment for steelhead fisherman like Dylan. More than 20 years later, steelhead trout haven't yet rebounded. The Sky has yet to reopen in March or April.

    Dylan Tomine: It felt like somebody punched me in the stomach when they closed my home river cuz that was something that I built my whole year around, was being able to fish on a place that was near my home that I knew really well that felt like there was a pretty intimate relationship with this watershed.

    I'm still sad about it. When I think about it in March or April, I still feel these little sharp pains in my gut around it.

    Shin Yu Narration: Dylan says the river closure came as a total surprise. His fishing knowledge and skills had grown over the years. So as the steelhead population was declining, he was still catching fish. But he had to come to terms with this reality quickly.

    Dylan Tomine: The opportunity to mourn wasn't really there because as soon as I found out what was really happening, I felt like I had to jump into action and form groups and talk to politicians and learn from scientists. Maybe it's a form of grieving around it or something, but like I felt forced into action. I had to do something in kind of a desperate way.

    Shin Yu Narration: This declining steelhead population and disappearing access to his obsession forced Dylan to turn towards conservation. Now his obsession with steelhead takes a different form.

    He works with conservation groups like the Wild Steelhead Coalition and Wild Fish Conservancy. These groups are working to save wild steelhead and wild salmon, and their native river habitats.

    Dylan Tomine: Then the other piece of it for me is that a lot of my writing is around raising public awareness around the conservation issues or around fiscal issues, the amount of public money that's wasted in misguided efforts to bring back steelhead numbers.

    Shin Yu Narration: The closing of the Skykomish River also gave Dylan a chance to get more in touch with his children's interests.

    Dylan Tomine: I had this sort of epiphany, I guess at some point where, oh, you know, when they were young and we did stuff together, they did what I wanted to do.

    So now it's my turn for, if we want to do things together, to do what they want to do.

    Shin Yu: You know, in this book of yours, you, you identify your identity so strongly as a steelhead fisherman and speak so very little about the Asian or Asian American experience other than one fishing trip to Japan and talking about your great-grandfather.

    And I am curious if there are aspects of the Asian American identity for you that have been wrapped up in this experience of, fishing, living close to the ground, these sorts of values that you have.

    Dylan Tomine: That's like, that's, that's the veritable onion question. There's different levels of that. So one is, I think culturally like to the Asian American experience for me personally, most of that is experienced or practiced through food for me in that, when I was doing the recipes for my first book, the second edition of "Closer to the Ground," had recipes in it, and I started realizing like all the ways that we eat fish and clams and crabs and stuff really came from my grandmother, through my mom, from her mother, from my dad's mother, and then even before that, probably coming from Japan.

    To my kids, that's just normal now because when we have a really good salmon, we eat salmon shioyaki. If we catch crabs and, and make crab miso or any of those sort of things, and, you know, 90% of our meals come with rice on the side when we're cooking at home. And so a lot of it is experienced that way.

    Shin Yu Narration: Not all obsessions are alike, nor without their benefits. When we care about something passionately, our relationship with that object may deepen and grow more complex over time. We may learn something deeply about the thing itself, though in the best-case scenario, we develop a wisdom that wasn't there before. A knowledge that can combine with action and experience to guide understanding in new directions.

    Shin Yu: So I'm curious if there are any, new pastimes that have replaced steelhead fishing for you.

    Dylan Tomine: I don't think anything ever really will replace that singular obsession of fly fishing for steelhead that so dominated my life and I still do it. When the numbers are decent and I can do it without feeling like I might shoot the last buffalo. I still love to fish for steelhead. I do it on the Olympic Peninsula a little bit in the winter.

    And so that's still part of my life and a lot of my thinking on a day-to-day basis is still sort of steelhead-related thinking.

    Shin Yu Narration: Dylan Tomine is a Patagonia flyfishing ambassador, conservation advocate and writer. His newest book is "Headwaters." His latest hobbies are rockhounding and duck hunting.


    Best Lawn Care Service Companies 2023

    To ensure that the lawn care service you choose can offer one-stop shopping and provide care for all of your yard's needs, match your requirements with the following criteria.

    Types of Lawn Care Services

    Every yard is unique. Lawn care services typically provide everything a yard needs in a particular area or locality. However, before signing anything, double-check to ensure that who you hire is prepared to take on all of the normal tasks as well as any special care that your lawn may encounter.

    Service Area

    Besides the fact that you likely won't have the option to hire a company that doesn't provide service in your area, choosing a lawn care service that knows your location well can be highly beneficial. Regionally, where you live determines the weather and environmental conditions that affect the health of your yard.

    Finding a company that knows regional climate patterns and is familiar with local soil types can make investing in your lawn as productive as possible.

    Quotes and Pricing

    Before hiring any service professional to work in or around your home, getting at least three quotes is recommended. Service companies know that they're directly competing for your business with other local companies, so there's no reason to feel pressured to hire someone just because the representative offers you a price quote. It's their job.

    When you receive a price quote, ensure that you understand what prices correlate to which services. Ask your representative to clear up any missing information and explain what's not included in your contract and what events could trigger additional charges. As always, avoid working with any companies that offer a price estimate that looks too good to be true.

    Guarantee of Work

    Lawn care is an investment in your home. As such, hiring a professional company to perform professional care costs real money. Before hiring a lawn care service, ensure that it provides a satisfaction guarantee to protect your investment and understand what's included in the policy.

    Reviews and Ratings

    Online reviews and ratings are an excellent source of information about lawn care service providers. However, rating systems are seldom perfect representations. To understand what to expect when you hire a lawn care company, read some of the good and bad reviews to gain some insight into the company's ability to resolve issues when they appear.








    This post first appeared on Landscape Planning App, please read the originial post: here

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