Alternative lawns are gaining in popularity, and from a recent post on Reddit, it is easy to see why.
Posted on the r/NoLawns subreddit, a homeowner from Missouri shared a photo of their beautiful front yard, which is home to a variety of native plants.
Instead of a traditional lawn, the front yard contains native shrubs and flowers, including alliums, which are a beautiful purple color when they flower. The OP chose to plant the garden after taking ownership, writing, "When we first took ownership the lawn was patchy, halfway dead, and just screaming for help."
Replacing a traditional lawn with native plants or a native lawn alternative has a number of benefits. Firstly, traditional lawns are high maintenance. They require a lot of upkeep through watering, feeding, and mowing. Native plants, however, are adapted to the local environment. This means that, once they are established, they require very little maintenance, saving you time and money on those costly water bills and expensive fertilizers.
Natural lawn alternatives include plants such as clover and buffalo grass. These plants are also low maintenance and provide ground cover that is green all year. What's more, if you have pets, these lawn alternatives are perfect because they are not affected by animal urine like traditional grass, so you don't have to worry about patchy lawns.
Additionally, native plants are much better for the environment. Fertilizers can pollute local waterways which is bad for humans and wildlife alike. Native plants also support pollinators, which are essential for crop production and food security. One out of every three bites of food you eat has been produced because of pollinators like bees, butterflies, birds, bats, moths, and other insects.
People in the comments loved this OP's front yard.
One commenter wrote, "Amazing! Great work."
Another commenter pointed out that replacing the traditional lawn had made this front yard easier to care for, writing, "I can't imagine how awful it would be if you had to mow something that steep and small."
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