Yards and Stripes

A Memoir With Grass Stains 🌱

Michael Francis had a sensible plan: move to the United States, enjoy a few years of copywriting, travel on weekends, and maybe draft a novel. Instead, he found himself behind a Honda Buffalo mower in a Melbourne retirement village, trying not to plant “donuts” in the grass. Yards and Stripes tells the story of that unexpected detour—from New York apartment living to affluent Greenwich, Connecticut, where he became the first U.S. regional franchisor for Harry’s Landscaping and Lawn Care.

No Gardening Experience Required?

Francis admits he couldn’t tell a weed from a wisteria. But when an ex-wife’s tip leads to a franchise opportunity, he decides that if he can do it, anyone can. The book follows his early training in Australia, his crash course in mowing, and his attempts to build a business in one of America’s most image-conscious suburbs. It’s not a how-to guide; it’s a front-row seat to the misadventures that happen when ambition meets lawn equipment.

Chapters That Read Like Misadventures

With titles such as:

• Four Meat Pies and a Snickers Bar
• Don’t Mention the War
• The Trash Monster
• The Clapboard Ridge Mole Invasion
• An Offer I Couldn’t Refuse

the table of contents alone hints at the blend of work, absurdity, and physical exhaustion inside. Each chapter is short, punchy, and filled with the kind of details that make small-business struggles feel both personal and universally funny.

Work, Reinvention, and a Few Lawn Mowers

Underneath the humor is a story about middle-aged reinvention. Francis leaves a career he knows for a trades-based business he knows nothing about, and the result is a candid look at what it really takes to start over. The book touches on franchise decisions, client expectations, cash flow, and the simple dignity of finishing a job well—even when the job is mowing someone’s lawn while they watch from the window.

Who Might Enjoy This Book

If you’ve ever thought about leaving a desk job, trying your hand at outdoor work, or starting a small business on a whim, Yards and Stripes offers a comic reality check. It will also appeal to readers who enjoy memoirs about expat life, suburban America, and the unexpected lessons that come from getting your hands dirty.