Homeowner shares before-and-after photos after three-year-long yard transformation: 'So much better than grass'

We take great pride in making our homes a safe and inviting place. Can we do the same for our lawns?

One visionary Redditor posted a series of photos on r/NoLawns, highlighting the transformation of a front and back yard with the user's taste in mind, proving aesthetics can be achieved with the space and resources a homeowner already has. 

Maintaining a lawn can be time-consuming, expensive, and even turn into a health hazard when not properly managed. However, this Redditor showed it's possible to take advantage of the natural beauty that can be reflected right where you live. 

"Curated chaos in front, but a clover lawn in the back to feed even more of the pollinators," the user shared, relieved the last three years have seen the vision realized. 

The first photo shows the home upon purchase, featuring a standard lawn without much tending. The following photos then give aerial views of the low-maintenance lawn replacements, showing that even a partial lawn replacement allows homeowners to reap benefits. 

"I'm a mountain biker and wanted my home to feel like the meadows and forests I ride through," the user said, describing the process of finding the right landscape designer to bring the vision to life. For the last three years, the lawns have needed little maintenance, promoting water use reduction as nearly everything is native species.   

The post received much engagement from others complimenting the OP on the appealing and sustainable lawn setup.

One user gave praise by commenting, "Love it! So much better than grass. Good for you! I also love the drone shots! I need to try that too!"

Another user playfully acknowledged the importance of the native plants by commenting, "Wow so refreshing looks great, thanks from the pollinators."

Pollinators are valuable for the production of food, as when they interact with a plant, they leave pollen behind, resulting in a seed or fruit. Native plants, or plants that occur naturally in a region without human introduction, promote natural habitat for wildlife, including pollinators. 

As the commenters highlighted, this Redditor's enhanced lawn provides a habitat with native plants such as the self-heal (prunella vulgaris).

Finding solutions to mitigate the effects of Earth's rising temperatures can take on many forms and can happen in our own backyards. We can make our lawns look great and be in harmony with nature at the same time.

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