Ugly yard contest could change your surroundings

Are you embarrassed by your yard? Does your lawn struggle to grow amid an onslaught of weeds? Are bushes climbing past your windows and weeds popping up out of every crack in your patio? And what’s up with that tree stump in the center of your front yard?

If this sounds like your yard, take heart! The Yard Doctor is in – and he’s making house calls in 2008.

On behalf of Briggs & Stratton Corporation, Yard Doctor Trey Rogers, Ph.D., will help two lucky homeowners with their lawn and yard care problems. The yards will be chosen in July based on how ugly they are and how badly they need some emergency TLC. The Yard Doctor will diagnose problems, prescribe treatment and bring along a $1,000 check and the winner’s choice of two pieces of new outdoor power equipment to jump-start some serious landscape efforts. The winners can choose from a Snapper mower, Snapper pressure washer and Sarlo string trimmer.

Homeowners living with ugly yards are invited to share their lawn and yard care problems at myuglyyard.com from April 15 through June 30. Be sure to provide a video tour of your lawn and yard to point out problems you would like to tackle. Videos can be submitted, along with comments on why you need help, through You Tube (see directions and rules at www.myuglyyard.com ).

If you prefer, you may send a photomontage and describe in 300 words or less why your ugly lawn and yard needs some emergency help. You can even nominate a neighbor or family member’s ugly yard for some much-needed attention.

The top four ugly lawns will be featured on the ugly yard Web site where homeowners across America will determine whose yards are the ugliest and most deserving of a Yard Doctor house call.

For complete rules and to learn more about the ugly yard contest, visit myuglyyard.com.

Briggs & Stratton Corporation is the world’s largest producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment. Its wholly owned subsidiary Briggs & Stratton Power Products Group LLC is North America’s number one manufacturer of portable generators and pressure washers, and is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of lawn and garden and turf care through its Simplicity®, Snapper®, Ferris® and Murray® brands. Briggs & Stratton products are designed, manufactured, marketed and serviced in over 100 countries on all seven continents.