One ingenious Redditor hopes their beautiful new plants will keep the soil in their yard from washing away.
The user posted photos of their yard in r/NoLawns, a subreddit dedicated to traditional grass alternatives. The members are some of a growing number of homeowners who want to move away from water-guzzling, high-maintenance lawns, both to save money and benefit the environment.
Companies like Yardzen can help with this transformation, replacing lawns with pollinator-friendly native plants that need minimal care and watering.
According to an earlier post from the same user, they started out with grass fully covering their steeply sloped yard. "I spent all summer removing sod and planting, then finished up this weekend!" they said, and shared pictures of the transformation: a tidy bed of mulch dotted with large stones and a variety of beautiful plants, with a charming wooden staircase running down the center.
In this more recent update, the yard looked even better. "This weekend, I filled in bare spots with more groundcovers and rock garden plants," they said, sharing photos of a garden in blossom with at least 20 different varieties of plants. "My goal is to have no dirt exposed, and to divide and transplant to other areas of my yard."
When planting on a slope, The Owner-Builder Network warns homeowners to beware of erosion. Water running down a slope can wash away rich, fertile topsoil, leaving dirt that only allows the toughest plants to grow. But the right plant roots can hold soil in place and prevent that from happening.
Concerned about this issue, one user asked, "Any issues with erosion?"
The original poster replied, "Yes and no. When I had landscaping fabric plus mulch and a few plants, it was okay. Then I removed the landscaping fabric, added more plants and way too much mulch and it was a problem. Now I've removed most of the mulch and am hoping the plants control the erosion."
Another user simply stopped by to compliment the original poster's hard work. "This looks fabulous" they said.
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