A home gardener shared the "satisfying" work they'd begun on their yard — which first necessitated killing their lawn.
They posted photos of their setup, which included large gardening beds with both seedlings and bare soil, in the subreddit r/NoLawns.
"It's a start," they wrote. "So I have been working on prepping my yard to get rid of as much grass as possible. I got these beds ready using the lasagna method. Last night I worked from 5 till after sundown getting everything set up & planted."
The "lasagna" method involves constructing layered garden beds out of alternating soil, compost, organic material, seeds, cardboard, and sometimes mulch. This layering keeps the soil moist and full of nutrients, creating an ideal growing environment.
The OP shared they were installing an assortment of native wildflowers in that environment. "I tried My Home Park to get my plants and wow these plants came looking better than some I have seen at Home Depot. It comes with a garden plan you can use for deciding which plants go where. And they're supposed to be all native & deer resistant," they explained.
They also took advantage of a chip drop, where you can get free or low-cost wood chips delivered that would otherwise go to waste. "I am saving so much money using that as mulch and compost," they wrote. "Never could have bought that many bags."
Not only is this method affordable to install, it's much cheaper and easier to maintain than the all-too-common grass monoculture lawn. While those traditional lawns require constant mowing — and often toxic and expensive pesticides — native plants are adapted to thrive in the environments where they grow. This means they need very little water and upkeep to bloom beautifully year after year.
Commenters shared in OP's enthusiasm for their endeavor. "This is good stuff," one person wrote.
Another enthused, "Most excellent!"
🗣️ 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
It's no surprise that OP is so pleased with their efforts; gardening has been shown to reduce stress and boost well-being, even lowering cancer risk.
"Wish me luck as I start killing my lawn!" they concluded cheerily.
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