One homeowner transformed their yard from a wasteland to an oasis over eight years, all with the help of native plants.
Native plants are an excellent choice for gardening. They're well adapted to their surroundings, so they grow easily without a lot of care or extra water. They come in a huge variety that adds beauty and interest to your landscaping. Plus, they support native wildlife, including pollinators — which is good for the environment and helps your vegetables if you're trying to grow your own food.
That's what this homeowner was in for when they decided to transform their yard. "Backyard before and after native planting," they said in their post on r/pnwgardening.
Their first photo shows a backyard bordered by hedges, with a bush and three pine trees in view. Between those features is a flat, empty, and mostly dead lawn — a space that could be better used for other plants.
In the "after" photos, the backyard is lush and green. The original poster shared several close-ups of flowers, including camas, fritillaries, and lilies.
The native plants did their work, the original poster revealed. "I'm happy for all the buggies and animals back there," they said in a comment. "It seems to have improved the health of my food gardens quite a bit as well!"
"What else have you planted?" asked a commenter.
"Oh geesh," replied the original poster. "Red osier, miners lettuce covers the ground with bleeding heart, sword ferns, nine bark, ocean spray, fringecup, Indian plum, yew, thimbleberry, evergreen huckleberry, nettle, blue elderberry, Oregon grape, red flowering currant, cascara, vine maples, a ponderosa pine, a redwood (not really native to my area but it's back there), bald hip rose. I know there is some I'm forgetting."
Commenters agreed the effect was beautiful. "Eden returns," said one user.
🗣️ What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home?
🔘 Not enough time ⏳
🔘 Not enough space 🤏
🔘 It seems too hard 😬
🔘 I have a garden already 😎
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
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