Enter Contest to Win the Backyard of Your Dreams!

When you daydream about the perfect backyard, do you see the ultimate sanctuary, a peaceful get-away place that soothes your nerves and lifts your spirits? Or do you see the ultimate entertainment area for your family and friends, complete with an outdoor kitchen and perhaps a dramatic fire pit? How about a combination of these visions?

However you see the backyard of your dreams, now is the time to describe it for us and enter this great contest! Send us a photo of your backyard and a 200-word essay describing why your backyard needs a renovation. Let us know who uses your outdoor space, how you would like to use it, and why it’s important to you. Get personal! Entries will be judged on the basis of three criteria: need, creativity, and vision. People across the United States (and in Nova Scotia) will be competing for these prizes:

Grand Prize: Backyard Makeover. Outdoor living project for your backyard designed and installed by Archadeck Outdoor Living. Approx. retail value: (up to) $70,000 (USD). The winning project will include a hardscape (paver) component and a decking component featuring quality materials from Belgard Hardscapes and TimberTech.

Second Prize: Renovation of Existing Deck or Patio. Approx. retail value: (up to) $7,000 (USD).

Third Prize: Landscape Lighting for Your Outdoor Living Space. Outdoor lighting system provided by Outdoor Lighting Perspectives. Approx. retail value: (up to) $3,000 (USD).

There is some fine print, so you’ll want to read the Official Rules. Here are some highlights — this is by no means a complete list:

• You can only enter once. If a second person submits the same backyard, that second entry will not be considered.
• You have to be at least 21 years old to be eligible.
• You must be the homeowner, and the contest entry has to be for your primary residence.
• Your entry (photo and essay) cannot depict or advocate the consumption of alcohol or drug use.
• You must have a Facebook account in order to enter the contest, although the contest is not sponsored or endorsed by Facebook. (It’s free to sign up for a Facebook account.)

To enter, go to our Facebook page and click on the square that says “Win a Backyard.” Entries must be received by April 22, 2013.

Good luck!