This barren backyard is on its way to becoming a native plant paradise.
A homeowner working on transforming their yard shared a few progress photos to r/NativePlantGardening with the caption "the other side is worse" and asked for advice on the next steps.
"I'm clueless on this side as the ground is basically unusable, it's all buried flagstone and rocks that nature reclaimed. The ground feels squishy in places and I think there is landscape fabric or paper or something that is at least 25 years old and is root bound," they wrote. "This area feels screwed and I don't know what to do."
Their backyard isn't the most visually pleasing — no grass, crumbling rocks, dead leaves. Transforming it will take some work, especially if there is landscaping fabric buried beneath it all, but it's salvageable.
A blank slate is the perfect opportunity to let nature do its thing — with a little guidance, of course. Any invasive plants — like the English ivy — should be removed before it's too late. Not only are invasive plants notoriously difficult to remove, but they out-compete native plants for resources.
Removing the invasives will allow native plants to thrive, promoting biodiversity in the backyard. As their yard flourishes, they'll likely see wildlife like birds, bees, and butterflies more often.
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Not only will the yard look better, but they'll spend less time and money on maintaining it than a traditional grass lawn. Native plant yards require very little maintenance such as mowing, weeding, or watering.
Commenters shared a few ideas for rewilding the yard.
"Oh I so hate landscape fabric," one user wrote. "Still finding pieces of it after 25 years. I'd try to get a lot of leaves built up on the bare areas if you can get that fabric off first. It will greatly help with the soil."
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Mowing the lawn 
Another Redditor recommended using local native landscapes for inspiration. "If you're at any nearby city — for instance University of Charlotte Botanical Gardens, Atlanta History Center, Reflection Riding Arboretum in Chattanooga all have well managed native landscapes," they commented.
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