<font color=red>QUICK TIPS</font> Five Common Landscaping Mistakes

Briggs & Stratton Corp., manufacturer of gasoline engines for yard care equipment, brought in its Yard Doctor, Trey Rogers, to the Appleton (Wis.) Post-Crescent to warn against making five common landscaping blunders:

Improper mowing: When mowing, cut only a third of the height of the lawn to encourage strong roots. Cutting too short creates an environment for weed growth and disease.

Poor planting choices: Do your homework before you purchase to determine how large trees will grow and how much care they will need. Trim back or replace overgrown bushes that overwhelm the front of your house, and plant trees far enough away from the home so they won't eventually post problems from overhanging branches and expanding roots.

Poor trimming: Keep grass neatly trimmed around flowerbeds, decks, patios and other landscape features. Don't sheer grass off at ground level; this invites weeds to fill the bare earth.

No focal point: Every yard should have a feature that makes a statement. It could be a beautiful front door in a contrasting color to the home, a beautiful tree or a cobbled pathway lined with flowers.

Yard clutter: Encourage customers to clean up bicycles, balls, toys and scattered lawn furniture.

More yard care tips are available from www.yarddoctor.com.