Landscaping mistakes

• Yard clutter: Clean up any toys or other out-of-place items on the lawn. It's a distraction and looks ugly.

• Neglected lawn: When your lawn looks good, you look good. When you mow, cut only one-third of the height of the lawn to avoid weed growth and disease.

• Poor planting: Do your homework to figure out where plants will grow best and what care they need.

• Poor trimming: Mowing your lawn without trimming is like getting half a haircut.

• No focal point: Trey Rogers advises people to make a statement with their front yard and create something for people to look at, whether a fun plant or brightly colored door.

SOURCE: Briggs & Stratton Yard Smarts program

Favorite plants

During a recent visit to Engh Gardens in Sandy, owner Darin Engh handpicked a few plants he said homeowners would enjoy and have success in growing this summer.

Perennials:

• Stratosphere, Pink Picotee (Gaura lindheimeri).

Blooms May through September. Full sun. Grows 12-16 inches tall.

• Pincushion Flower, Butterfly Blue (Scabiosa columbaria).

Blooms summer through fall. Full sun. Grows 12-15 inches tall.

• Blanket Flower, Arizona Sun (Gaillardia grandiflora).

Blooms summer through fall. Full to partial sun. 16-18 inches tall

• Dolce, Creme Brulee (Heuchera).

Blooms spring to summer. Partial shade. Grows 8-16 inches tall.

Annuals:

• Supertunia, Vista Bubblegum (Petunia hybrid).

Blooms from time of planting to hard frost. Full sun to partial shade. Grows 16-24 inches tall.

• Million Bells, Terra Cotta (Calibrachoa) .

Blooms spring to fall. Full sun to partial shade. Grows 7-10 inches tall.

• Super Elfin Sunrise (Impatiens).

Blooms from summer until frost. Partial shade. Grows 8 inches tall. I Is your yard ugly? Enter a contest to have Trey Rogers fix up your ugly yard, courtesy Briggs & Stratton Corp. The deadline is Monday. For rules and contest information, log on to myugly

yard.com.

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