A Redditor has showcased how lawns can be so much more than an aesthetic landscape — they can even be yummy.
In a post on r/f***lawns, strawberries reign supreme. As the Beatles would say, "Strawberry fields forever."
In a series of three photos, the Redditor flaunts their delicious lawn, even presenting the fruits of their labor in giant bowls.
"I just cannot see a downside," the caption read.
The benefits of an edible lawn are boundless. As one comment pointed out: "Less money spent on food. Less food wasted because it sat on the retail shelf for a week. Less gas wasted transporting the food. Less land wasted on corporate farms destroying the soil. More biodiversity in our lawns."
What's amazing about strawberries is that you can create an endless supply from a singular plant. If strawberries aren't your thing, maybe consider rewilding your yard with native plants, which can save you money on water bills, as they need less water and maintenance compared to traditional lawns.
According to Bloomberg News, as shared by the Ecological Landscape Alliance in 2017, we spend more than $40 billion per year on lawn care — that's $3.5 billion more than the federal government's budget for foreign aid that year.
For that much money, you should get more in return other than pride. Even replacing a part of your lawn with more eco-friendly, natural alternatives will still give you money-saving and rewarding benefits. This change will also bring to the yard pollinators — the unsung heroes of our food supply that account for almost 35% of the world's food crops, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Gardens tend to draw in unwanted guests, too, but when asked how to deter pests, the OP noted they use "Chives and garlic planted in the patch!"
This is a great example of companion planting, which is a strategic gardening technique that allows neighboring plants to benefit from each other for numerous reasons, including weed suppression, pest control, pollination, beneficial insect habitation, crop productivity, spatial needs, and sun exposure. For more information, check out Martha Stewart's companion planting chart.
The fruit-filled yard was adored, with 1.5K likes.
"This should be the goal," the first comment read. "Actually having a yard that gives you something back when you take care of it."
"That's gorgeous!" another Redditor said.
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