One Redditor defied their homeowners association's rule that all homes must have grass lawns, even though their neighborhood is in the desert. They gave their front yard an unconventional makeover that's so beautiful, their HOA let it slide.
This popular Reddit post includes before-and-after photos of one Redditor's front lawn. In the before photo, the Redditor had a traditional grass lawn. The second photo shows its astonishing transformation into a diverse native landscape.
"Amazingly, I'm in an HOA, however [I] definitely have pushed my bounds with them," the Redditor wrote. "It helps that it is really pretty!"
The user scrapped their grass lawn for a mix of native grasses, plants, gravel, and rocks. The HOA technically requires grass, so this Redditor used a blend of native buffalo and blue grama grasses to fulfill this stipulation.
Their creative blend of native grasses, plants, and wildflowers helped them establish a low-water lawn that thrives in the desert environment.
This user leads the charge against wasteful grass lawns in their neighborhood and inspired their neighbor to remove their lawn in favor of natural landscaping.
While straying from the norm may be intimidating, this Redditor showed they can create a beautiful landscape with unconventional plants.
Landscaping companies like Yardzen can make this intimidating transition smoother. Yardzen is a landscape design and build company that will help homeowners choose the best native plants for your region — saving time, money, and effort.
Compared to grass lawns, biologically diverse and sustainable landscaping is the clear victor.
Traditional grass lawns are notorious water hogs, requiring significant irrigation to maintain their lush appearance. Almost one-third of residential water use goes to landscape irrigation, totaling roughly 9 billion gallons daily.
Switching to lawns that require less water can reduce the strain on local water resources, especially in arid regions like this Redditor's neighborhood.
Grass lawns are also monocultural, lacking biodiversity that can support beneficial insects and pollinators. Creating a biodiverse landscape can aid the environment and give your lawn loads of curb appeal.
Fellow Redditors loved this eco-friendly lawn metamorphosis, sharing their praise in the comment section.
"Great job, and I bet you'll start to see more neighbors convert," one Redditor wrote. "Requiring grass in the desert is just astounding."
Another user said, "It's much more appealing.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
