Meet The Proud Owner Of The “World’s Ugliest Lawn.”

The “World’s Ugliest Lawn” contest, now in its third year, began in Gotland, Sweden, as an attempt to reduce water usage during a drought. This is the first year the contest has permitted global entries. Contestants submitted entries for top honors from the United States, Britain, Croatia, Canada, France, Germany, and Australia.

Kathleen Murray, this year’s winner, is from Sandford, Tasmania, in Australia. Her lawn appears war-ravaged and barren and is truly the world’s ugliest lawn. In an interview with The Guardian, Kathleen blamed the overall condition of her lawn mostly on bandicoots, stating, “The bandicoots love digging — that’s how they find their favorite food.”

She described her yard as looking like “a real-life Hungry Hungry Hippo game.” She also added that an echidna and some chooks assist in the landscaping chores. Chooks is Australian slang for chickens, just like Barbie is slang for barbeque. The world’s ugliest lawn features many sparse patches of yellow grass, dried-up plants, and several holes caused by the local wildlife.

Kathleen stated that her previous opinion of bandicoots has changed from “wildlife of mass destruction” to thinking of them as freedom fighters. The change came with the realization that the pesky critters had freed her from ever having to mow again. Her guilt-free weekends can now be enjoyed without worry. That is probably a good thing because she admits that her ex-husband left in 2016 and took the lawnmower with him!

The prize for this illustrious honor is an amazing, pre-owned t-shirt that proclaims, “Proud Owner of The World’s Ugliest Lawn.” Yes, you did read that correctly. They don’t even spring for a new t-shirt. What an honor! Kathleen is pleased with her selection and wears her used shirt proudly! You can read more about the competition on the official website. Stop watering now if you intend to enter the contest in 2024!

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.