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As a teenage entrepreneur, Michael Zuckerman of Germantown couldn't wait to give something back to Kingsview Middle School as a gesture of his appreciation for what he learned there.

Zuckerman, 16, a junior at Northwest High School, operates Cedar Creek Landscaping. This summer, he cleaned up the flower beds, spread mulch, cleared out weeds and pruned and trimmed plants in Kingsview's courtyard for free.

Zuckerman said the landscaping is his way of thanking the school's staff for instilling in him the traits that have made him a successful businessman while in high school.

"At Kingsview, I was taught to time manage, values and respect," he said.

Zuckerman said those qualities proved important when he decided to start his own business while in sixth grade at Kingsview. He started Cedar Creek Landscaping when his parents needed someone to cut their lawn, Zuckerman said.

His mother bought a lawn tractor that immediately caught the budding entrepreneur's attention and led him to look for opportunities to use it. Shortly thereafter, he was operating a lawn-mowing business that turned into a landscaping operation, Zuckerman said .

Elizabeth Thomas, Kingsview's principal, said she was elated at the results of Zuckerman's landscaping efforts, which he completed in a ten-hour day. The improved landscape gives the school a warm, welcoming feel for visitors and sends an important symbolic message about its overall approach to education, Thomas said.

"It looks fantastic," she said. "The curb appeal when you drive up to the building is second-to-none."

She said she has known Zuckerman for five years, beginning with his time at Kingsview, and hired him recently to perform some work at her home. She said he jumped at the opportunity when she called him about the school's landscaping project, and offered to do it for free.

Jim Moyer, who lives across the street from Zuckerman and helped mentor him with his wife, Carlyn, said Zuckerman's success isn't surprising for someone of his considerable abilities.

"One of the things he is particularly good at is learning on his own and organizing his thinking," Moyer said. "He's unusually good at understanding mechanics. He teaches himself how to do repairs on all the stuff, which I find absolutely fascinating. He studies things on the Internet and learns through trial and error. He is just an impressive guy in that regard."

Zuckerman said he typically puts in at least six hours a day on weekends and four hours on school days tending to the landscaping business, while also maintaining a grade-point average of 3.85 or above. He is also the parliamentarian in the student government and the girls' field hockey manager.

He said he relied on his mother to drive him around to job sites until recently, when he became old enough to acquire a learner's permit that allows him to drive a truck he has already owned for about two years.

"It's a joke," he said. "I've had my truck for so long, but I haven't been able to drive it. I have my learner's permit now, which means I can drive by myself next month, which is a big milestone."

The other tools of his business — two mowers, a tractor and a trailer — are stored in the family's garage or driveway, he said.

Zuckerman said he plans to go to college and obtain a master's degree in business administration. He said he would like to hold on to Cedar Creek Landscaping after high school. but is uncertain of its long-term future.

"I would like to see how far I can grow it," he said. "If my life takes me in another direction, it's been an awesome ride."