Flowers, greenery, and bees, oh my! A recent Reddit post showcased one Missouri homeowner's native plant paradise, the result of nearly a decade of hard work.
The video, shared to the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit, tours the flourishing landscape — maintained in front of an unassuming home in the St. Louis suburbs — on a sunny spring day. The homeowner's garden is striking in its abundance and variety. Plants blossom with colorful flowers, leaves rustle in the light wind, and insects hum through the vibrant yet peaceful panorama.
It's impressive, particularly because the picturesque front yard is absolutely homegrown. It's the passion project of a seasoned planter. According to the post, the Reddit user has been working with native plants for 32 years and in this particular garden for eight.
Native plant gardens, packed with vegetation naturally hailing from the local area, are a sustainable, lower-maintenance, and less expensive landscaping choice. Even a partial lawn replacement can conserve water, protect wildlife, and support pollinators' ecosystems — not to mention they're unique and stunning. Just watch that video again. Or get inspired on social media.
For aspiring natural gardeners, you can explore additional options to make the switch — like clover lawns, buffalo grass, and xeriscaping.
Throughout the Reddit thread, the homeowner pointed out several favorite plants within the serene scene, among them sweet clover ("it sure was hard to [get] them back in the [1990s]!"), native irises ("[two] of the three we have in MO"), poppy mallow ("this year they decided to climb up on nearby plants and skip the ground crawling"), and four kinds of native grasses.
Plants aren't the only "native" elements of the lawn, either. Paving the border are nineteenth-century cobblestones from the "original streets of St. Louis," added the homeowner.
Other Redditors marveled at the sight.
"How do you maintain something like that? Take care of it?" wondered one user.
The homeowner replied: "To me, it's just a part of my day — it's my heartbeat."
"Wow," wrote another Reddit user. "Thanks for being the garden's continued keeper."
🗣️ Which of these benefits is your biggest motivation in gardening?
🔘 Getting outside more 🌱
🔘 Growing healthy food 🥕
🔘 Making my yard beautiful 🏡
🔘 I don't garden 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Even without decades of dedication, it's completely possible to rewild your own lawn.
"Lately, I'm seeing an increasing number of completely new gardeners [who] have natives on their radar," shared another commenter. "Pretty awesome."
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