Seeing the fruits — or flowers — of your labor is one of the most exciting parts of gardening. One homeowner shared incredible photos of the flower patch they have cultivated over the years.
The r/NativePlantGardening community on Reddit is a robust group of gardeners who love to share advice and get support. One member took to the page showing off their huge patch of common sunflowers.
"My common sunflower patch grew in so big this year," the OP wrote.
The post contains several images of their backyard "patch," though patch may be an understatement, as it appears to take up the majority of their yard. The images show seemingly hundreds of common sunflowers and some closeups of the flowers and the pollinators they support.
The OP explained more about how they encouraged its growth in the comments.
"When I first moved to my house 12 years ago, there was a small patch of about 5 of them that I assume spread from a nearby wildflower prairie," they said. "Once the flowers die and fully dry out, I cut them off and leave them on the ground to reseed. The patch gets bigger and bigger every year."
Common sunflowers are beautiful yellow flowers native to the lower 48 states in the U.S.
"Native plants are the indigenous terrestrial and aquatic species that have evolved and occur naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, and habitat," writes the U.S. Forest Service. These plants are beneficial to the local ecosystem as they support local wildlife and soil health.
Many Americans have been choosing to grow more native plants in their yards. According to the National Gardening Association and the National Wildlife Federation, "12% of U.S. adults are converting parts of their lawn to a natural or wildflower landscape."
Moving away from traditional grass lawns and working to rewild your yard is good for your local ecosystem and can save you money. The average person can save more than $200 on their water bill by switching to a more natural lawn. You can also make the transition one step at a time, like by seeding with clover.
Other gardeners loved seeing the progress this homeowner has made.
"I love that! All our sunflowers got eaten by slugs. It was a very wet season where I am," wrote one person.
Another commenter said, "Looks so joyous I'll come over there and sleep in the field."
It's so inspiring to see people helping native plants grow big and strong.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
