Mowing the lawn is seldom considered a fun way to spend your Saturday morning. Which is why some people are choosing to move away from a conventional yard and replace it with a number of "no-mow" options.
One Redditor recently posted a photo of their parents' version — which showed a front yard filled with greenery, but very little grass. Instead, the grass was replaced by mulch, shrubbery, and flowers.
"Those are goals right there," commented one Redditor.
The idea is to replace your grass with a different material, and the possibilities are endless — a patio, raised garden beds, a pool for the kids — creativity is key! If you're looking for some ideas, Better Homes & Gardens has some solid options or just join the r/NoLawns subreddit, which is where this person posted their parents' yard.
If you want to opt for a grass-like plant to cover portions of the yard, you can look into ground-cover plants such as Japanese sweet flag, bearberry cotoneaster, and creeping jenny.
The obvious upside to this sort of landscaping is that instead of wasting time and money mowing the lawn, you'll now only have to do the enjoyable part of landscaping — the gardening!
Plus, you won't be wasting money on expensive pesticides, water, and lawn mowers that release planet-warming gases.
If you're looking to stay on a budget, you can plant local wildflowers and opt to get mulch from Chip Drop — a company that will deliver mulch for free from your local participating tree company.
Avoiding products like pesticides is also great for the environment — the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection reported that the chemicals in pesticides and fertilizers are "potential pollutants." They contain chemicals that can seep into local bodies of water causing a variety of unpleasant results — stinky algae, dead fish, and even contamination of the groundwater that you drink.
Commenters on the post adored the idea. One said, "Wow! Breathtaking. They did a great job," while another added, "Fantastic!!"
One Redditor was inspired and said, "I really want to do that in my yard. One day I will!"
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
