The City of Ratigen, Germany, is not unlike most municipalities; it is always looking for ways to contain costs. Recently, the city purchased a more expensive Walker mower to help cut grass - and expenses. What appears to be a dichotomy really makes a lot of sense, tells city cemetery chief Deiter Anders.

Miklos Lakatos and his wife Andrea of Kecskemet, Hungary, have always been courageous in their business endeavors. Starting a power equipment business 16 years ago in communist-dominated Hungary was just one example of their courage.

The Statens Vegvesen highway department maintains a 100km radius of roads around Oslo. Currently, the department is in the midst of the biggest highway construction projects in Norway's history.

The city of Oslo, Norway operates 19 cemeteries and uses eight Walker mowers to help maintain them. The reason? Many of the cemeteries are located in very hilly areas. The Walkers, with their low centers of gravity, level out these areas and make efficient mowing possible.

Located just outside of Oslo, Gjennestad Gartnerskole is the only private horticulture school in Norway. Founded in 1946, the school has approximately 150 students, 100 of whom live on campus. It is a training ground for young horticulture workers who will most likely end up working for other landscapers or start their own businesses.

Just seven years out of Communist domination, the small Baltic country of Latvia, with a population of only 2.5 million, is looking to get its economy on track.