Homeowner shares incredible before-and-after photos of their AstroTurf lawn transformation: '2 months since I ripped out the lawn'

Last year, a homeowner on Reddit shared progress photos as they took their yard from plastic to perfection.

Lately, many homeowners have been turning away from lawns and embracing nontraditional options like xeriscaping, native plants, and vegetable gardens. However, they usually start with an ordinary turf grass lawn.

This Redditor, on the other hand, said they had to deal with a sheet of artificial grass.

"It's been 2 months since I ripped out the [AstroTurf] lawn," they said, attaching pictures of a fake, sterile green play area with unattractive bald areas. Despite the plastic covering, several weeds had sprouted through the surface.

The original poster tore it out and started digging in the ground underneath. "The soil was so compacted it felt like rock," they said. "I ended up buying a [pickax]."

Even though they started from nothing, the Redditor had big plans. "I used the [pickax] to build a pond," they said, sharing a photo of a beautiful pond complete with lush plants and smooth river rocks.

Their final layout also included garden lights, a birdhouse, and native flowers. "Planted around 25 species of native wildflower and clover," the Redditor said.

The final result was stunning, taking the space from a neglected playground to a multicolored fairy garden. In the final photos, thriving flowers almost overflowed the garden bed, making it lively and inviting.

Gardening with native plants is affordable and easy since these species are adapted to the local environment and need very little extra water or care. It's also a great way to support local pollinators, which use the plants for food and shelter — and of course, it's beautiful.

Commenters loved the transformation. "I barely understand actual lawns, but why would someone put down [AstroTurf]?" asked one user. "Much better this way!"

"It is always so horrible to see what [AstroTurf] or any strong cover does to the soil beneath it," said another commenter. "But it's even better to see that it can be revived."

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