On moving into a new home with a boring lawn, one Redditor made it their mission to create a habitat more suited to their family and to the local wildlife.
This Redditor is one of many homeowners who are over the traditional lawn. Where uninterrupted grass was once a mark of wealth and status, it's now the least interesting thing you can do with your yard. Plus, turf grass guzzles water and needs regular mowing, making it expensive and tiring to keep up.
Trading out part or all of your lawn for low-maintenance options has become trendy — often with gorgeous, classy results.
This Redditor was no different. "Wife and I moved from Colorado to Wisconsin in April," they said in their post, which they made a mere five months later, in September. "House we bought had eight plants and poorly maintained grass/weeds."
The Redditor took matters into their own hands, planting 11 new trees and what they said were hundreds of native perennial plants. Native plants are a smart choice both from a maintenance perspective and an environmental one. They don't need much care because they're used to the weather, and the local wildlife will use them for food and shelter.
The Redditor's photos show an incredible contrast between the bare, uneven lawn they started with and the gorgeous landscaping they installed. One small garden bed becomes multiple thriving plots at the corners of the yard and along the edge of the driveway, with flowers in bloom and vines trailing across the ground from the vegetable patch. They also show the installation of a small pond.
"We are reaping the rewards," the original poster said. "Lots of monarch caterpillars and tons of vegetables. Lots of wildlife friends as well — chipmunks, voles, rabbits, deer, birds, frogs, and garter snakes. A nice ecosystem."
Their photos include several shots of fat, striped monarch caterpillars enjoying the plants — a much-needed meal for the endangered insects.
Commenters loved the transformation.
"You've done amazing work in five months!" said one user. "The land thanks you."
"It looks so much more lively!" said another Redditor. "Great habitat for creatures as well as people."
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