This month's Bright Ideas in the Plain Dealer features Tremont's Simple Yard Care, owned and operated by Daniel Lake and Allison Hurley: Yard care without the roar of machines.

Simple Yard Care "uses only manual tools -- such as rakes and push mowers -- and organic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. Rather than use a truck to carry equipment and debris, they pull trailers on their bikes."

Lake has more than a decade of experience as a landscaper, as well as being a tool-and-die maker. Hurley's background includes a degree in biology, and she has at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in landscaping and horticulture.

Hurley, lead designer for Simple Yard Care, encourages people "to select plants that are native to the region and that work well with the ecosystem here."

"Lake is more engineering-minded. He's good at determining how water drainage should work and keeping the team's lawn equipment and bicycles in tact."

As of last July's Free Times article, Pedal Pushers, about the pair:

"Simple Yard Care has about 15 customers, mostly residential, all within approximately a three-mile radius in Tremont and Ohio City, which keeps them within easy biking distance."

Lake and Hurley feel they've proved their concept, now, though, and are planning to hire and expand into other urban neighborhoods.

Contact Simple Yard Care at 216-420-9273.