One homeowner recently wowed an anti-lawn community with a look at their gorgeous, grass-free yard designed to absorb water.
"Thought you guys may like to see my grass free yard," said the original poster before sharing several photos of the home from different angles. "This is a city in the Midwest."
The home in the photos is almost overflowing with lush bushes and bright flowers. An aged wood fence is almost hidden by pink, yellow, and orange blossoms. To one side, a simulated dry creekbed of river stones is set up to catch the water from the roof gutters. A generous front porch looks out over the beautiful landscape, and a brick-lined gravel bed offers space for more seating.
"My yard is filled with perennials and water catchment," said the original poster. "I dug the hell strip down to deeper than three feet and filled it with gravel. It absorbs rainwater from the street."
Hell strips — the area between a paved sidewalk and a street that exists in front of some houses — are notoriously difficult to plant in. They're surrounded by hot pavement, and they receive lots of runoff, including any trash or chemicals sitting on the sidewalk.
But this gardener not only prepared the area for runoff but also filled it with low-growing flowers.
This kind of intentional rain garden design helps in two big ways. First, it prevents flooding by providing areas where water can naturally soak deep into the ground. Second, it helps retain that water for the garden so the plants flourish.
The original poster said in a comment that they also used native plants in their design — a smart choice for using less water and supporting local pollinators.
"My regional natives would be lots of grassland type plants," they said. "I have some of them here. Coneflower, for instance, and big bluestem."
🗣️ If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation?
🔘 Making it look better 🌱
🔘 Saving money on water and maintenance 💰
🔘 Helping pollinators 🐝
🔘 No way I ever get rid of my lawn 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Commenters loved the look.
"This is so amazing and beautiful! Your house is incredible too," said one user.
"Gorgeous! I'm so inspired," said another Redditor.
If you're inspired, too, you can learn more about rewilding your yard here.
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