Holston Hills started with a golf course. Donald Ross designed it, and it opened in 1927 on the banks of the Holston River. The neighborhood that grew up around it still has the old stone entrance pillars and stone houses from the '30s and '40s. And it has dogwoods everywhere. Taking care of a yard here mostly means working around those trees, the big hardwoods and the azalea beds, and it changes a lot from season to season. So that's how we've laid this page out.
The Holston Hills Dogwood Trail has wound through the neighborhood since 1956, and every spring people slow down on these streets to look. If your house is on the route, the cleanup has to happen before the blooms open. Afterwards is too late.
We clear out the winter debris and cut back anything the cold killed. Beds get fresh edges and mulch. The first mows go in early, so the lawn's caught up by the time the trees peak. Spring is a busy stretch, so it pays to book your spring cleanup ahead.
Azaleas and rhododendrons set next year's flower buds over the summer. Shear them in August and you've cut off next April's color. We shape them right after they finish blooming and then leave them be. Hollies and boxwoods are a different story; those we trim in late fall.
The lawns themselves get weekly mowing. That's mowed, trimmed, edged and blown off, every visit. Around old stone walls and steps we use string trimmers and edgers by hand. Nobody runs a mower up against 90-year-old stonework.
The hardwoods here are big. Oaks hang on to their leaves well after the maples and poplars have dropped theirs, so one fall cleanup is rarely enough. We usually come back more than once. We'll blow leaves to the curb if your street's on the City of Knoxville's loose-leaf route, or vacuum them up and haul them off.
Early fall is also when shady, thinned-out fescue gets fixed: aeration and overseeding while the soil's still warm, and a fall feeding after.
St. John Lawn Care is a family business. Elijah started it in 2018 and got licensed in 2020, and he still runs it. The same crew comes on the same day each week, and we sharpen our blades twice a week so the grass gets cut clean instead of torn.
Call or text (865) 591-5939, or get a free quote.
Before the blooms open, which is usually early April. We schedule Holston Hills spring cleanups ahead of that, so debris is cleared, beds are edged and mulched, and the first mows are done. That way your yard's finished when the trees peak instead of catching up after.
Right after they finish blooming in spring. Both set next year's flower buds over the summer, so cutting them in fall or winter cuts off the flowers. Hollies and boxwoods are different. We shape those in late fall.
In more than one visit. Oaks drop their leaves later than maples, so a single cleanup usually isn't enough. If your street's on the City of Knoxville's loose-leaf pickup, we'll blow them to the curb. Otherwise we vacuum them up and haul them away.
Yes. Along walls, steps and old bed edges we trim by hand with string trimmers and edgers. We don't run a mower against the stone. Every walk and step gets blown clean before we leave.
St. John Lawn Care offers a winning combination of quality, reliability, personalized service, and affordability. When you choose us, you're not just choosing a lawn care provider; you're selecting a trusted partner committed to enhancing your outdoor spaces.
