This Redditor's neighbor didn't take too kindly to their native plant lawn.
A Florida homeowner put a lot of work into their native plant lawn, only to face scrutiny from the neighbor. They shared their story on Reddit, asking others for advice on how to handle the situation.
"I've slowly been putting in native plants, switching to a type of clover for ground cover and purposefully allowing my plants to grow as they see fit," the homeowner explained. "Today, as I was planting another pollinator, [my neighbor] was waiting for me. I greeted her politely and she said, 'for someone who spends so much time in the yard, it looks awful. Everyone else has a nice looking lawn and yours looks terrible.'"
Even if your neighbor doesn't like your yard, a native plant lawn boasts a ton of benefits for both you and the planet.
Converting your monoculture lawn into a native plant lawn can save you time and money. Traditional grass yards "can take 2400% MORE TIME than a native garden," according to The Plant Native.
Native gardens require very little maintenance compared to grass yards, so you'll spend less time mowing, fertilizing, and watering.
As for the planet, native plant lawns and gardens support essential pollinators such as bees and butterflies, create shelter for local critters, and promote biodiversity.
Rewilding your yard can be as simple as swapping traditional grass for an alternative such as clover or buffalo grass or going all out and planting native plants and wildflowers.
Commenters encouraged the homeowner to ignore their nosy neighbor.
"The best revenge is just to continue what you're doing," one user said. "Throw in some wildly colored yard art pieces, some whirly gigs and some loud wind chimes."
"Put up some cute 'native plant pollinator garden' signs. Sensible people will understand what you're doing," another Redditor recommended.
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