Located only 10 miles from downtown Denver and split right down the center by heavily trafficked I-25 is Greenwood Village, a community of 15,000 plus residents. Unlike most metropolitan municipalities, however, this city is dominated less by noise and congestion and more by green space. In fact, Greenwood Village features 17 parks, including smaller neighborhood “pocket parks,” two destination and two equestrian parks, several recreation fields, not to mention lengthy connecting trails.

Brenda Bailey always enjoyed mowing and gardening. Her dream was to one day put the leisurely pursuits to work in her own company. The dream came true four years ago when she quit her job of 13 years and started mowing lawns in her neighborhood.

by Tim Cromley, Marketing Manager

I began working with the Walker Talk project in 1995 and, even though I had a lot more hair back then, what I didn’t have was a clue about how unique the opportunity was that I was beginning to experience. See, the way stories are gathered for Walker Talk is usually by an interaction Bob Walker or one of our staff had with a customer, whether in the field or by correspondence. Then, as we get to know these people, we realize that their stories would be great to share with others. Typically, this means that we hand off the story to our editor, Rod Dickens, and he contacts the customers, makes a visit, gets to know them by listening to their stories, takes photos and then writes their stories.

Filoli Center puts a different twist on the old saying: The only thing constant is change. Since appearing 22 years ago in Walker Talk, Volume 6, this historic country estate, located in Woodside, California, has evolved to ensure its preservation. At the same time, it has expanded its role as a place for the public to learn more about and enjoy early 20th century cultural traditions and natural history.
What hasn’t changed over the years is the magnificent beauty of the 654-acre property that includes 16 acres of formal gardens and a 43-room mansion, both of which are open to the public for self-guided and guided tours. There’s still approximately four acres of turf to mow once a week during the growing season as well, a task that’s charged to the estate’s Walker Mower and a Honda push mower. Two of 14 horticulturists, Justin Brown and David Shippy, share mowing duties on Mondays when the house and gardens are closed to the public.

In 2009, when Walker Talk visited Anderson Lawn Care in Wyanet, Illinois, owner, Ralph Anderson, was 76 years old, and his four Walker Mowers and five employees maintained 75 accounts. Anderson turns 85 this year and slowing down is not part of his DNA. His five employees and four Walker Mowers maintain at least 60 accounts, divided nearly in half between residential and commercial/institutional accounts.