Add "a cleaner look" to the long list of advantages native species have over invasives.
A Redditor proved as much with an extensive post about their townhouse patio garden, which they made over from a bamboo-infested nightmare to a streamlined space for rest and relaxation.
In r/gardening, they shared 16 photos and a tale of back-breaking work to remove one of the "most hated" invasive species in the United States. And that marked just the first phase of an ongoing transformation.
"I'm really happy with the results already!" they wrote. "... Lots of people there thought the bamboo looked really nice and [thought] that I should have left it! I however felt like I couldn't do anything with the space; the ground was rock hard, the bamboo was destroying my sewer lines, retaining wall, and foundation, and the space would be better served hosting a variety of plants that provide a bit more for the ecosystem and aesthetics."
That did well to sum up the change, which replaced the bamboo with perennials, shrubs, and trees. The poster had to cut down the bamboo, chop it up to send it to a city yard waste composting program, dig out the roots ("which took MONTHS"), and repair a crumbling retaining wall — and their to-do list still included replacing bricks with pavers, removing a bed, refinishing planter boxes, and installing a floating bench.
Just thinking about all that is enough to work up a sweat.
The importance of removing invasive species cannot be understated, and some states even pay residents to do so, including Florida, which has a Burmese python problem. In North Carolina, you can receive free trees in exchange for removing problematic ones.
If you're like this poster and in search of a garden glow-up, check out these guides to rewilding and alternatives to grass lawns, which are often invasive species themselves.
🗣️ If you have a lawn, what aspect of it do you value most?
🔘 The way it looks 🤩
🔘 The way my family uses it 👪
🔘 It's enjoyable to mow 😎
🔘 It's cheap to maintain 💰
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Native plants and turf replacements such as clover can help you save time and money because they're low-maintenance and don't require much water. They also reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides in your ecosystem.
"So much work!" one user commented. "It looks so much cleaner without the bamboo. And your new plantings look fabulous already. I hope you have enough open space to set out a table and chairs so that you can sit outside for hours and enjoy the fruits of your labor."
Another Redditor wrote: "Kudos to you! Beautiful transformation."
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