If you build it, they will come.
One Redditor seemingly took inspiration from a famous Field of Dreams scene with an amazing lawn transformation that attracted beautiful butterflies to their yard.
In their posts, they described how they built a "milkweed empire" in "about three years," highlighted by the presence of endangered Monarch butterflies.
In the before and after images, you can see how their determined efforts changed a nondescript grassy area into a vibrant one with numerous plants and insects. They said the area is now filled with milkweed, trumpet creeper, and other native plants. Perhaps most striking of all was the butterflies, which the Redditor captured in a series of photos.
Beyond the beautiful aesthetics, rewilding is an increasingly popular option for homeowners who want to save money on water and fertilizer, reduce pesticide use, and attract pollinators.
Specific to this case, the Redditor's use of milkweed is a boon for pollinators such as the endangered Monarch butterfly. Pollinators are essential to our food sources in aiding the growth of fruits and vegetables.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Monarchs are threatened by an array of factors, including urbanization, agricultural trends, climate change, and herbicides.
Planting milkweed is a simple and effective way for gardeners to support Monarchs, with the side benefit of attracting the stunning butterflies to their lawns. Milkweed is a key food source for Monarchs and is also beneficial to numerous other insects and animals.
Users on the subreddit r/NativePlantGardening were both impressed by and envious of the Redditor's lawn transformation, milkweed plants, and butterflies.
"I love it," one commenter said, relaying a fond memory of visiting a farm in upstate New York, which featured so much milkweed that they said it "looked like it was snowing" when they went outside.
A Redditor complimented them and revealed they were "impatiently waiting for the monarchs to show up" in their own lawn. The original poster reassured them, replying: "Give it time I bet you'll get some."
Another celebrated the butterflies on display, saying: "All hail the emperor with the powerful monarch butterfly army!"
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