ROLESVILLE - When the Petruzzis of Long Island moved to their Wall Creek home in Rolesville almost two years ago, their backyard was -- literally-- a lump of clay.

Husband and dad Gregg Petruzzi says the house is built on "huge chunks of granite" not far below the surface of the yard.

That presented seemingly insurmountable landscaping headaches for the Petruzzis and their two children, who enjoy the outdoor life.

"We'd like a place for the kids to play back there, because there's not right now," says wife and mom Stacy Petruzzi. "It's kind of just piles of mud, and piles of dirt."

They installed a backyard pool, but the granite underneath made it necessary to raise it four feet off the ground with soil dumped all around.

That's not a good look. And any attempt at putting up privacy fencing has been foiled by granite as well.

Enter "Landscapers' Challenge," an HGTV show hosted by Mark Totty.

In the May 17 episode, three local designers and architects compete for the Petruzzis' business by assessing problems and rendering plans for the family to choose from.

The Petruzzis were working within a building budget of between $20,000 and $25,000. The planning work was donated for the show.

Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.