Hard work and patience pay off. One Redditor proved this with an amazing anti-lawn transformation that was three years in the making.
The anti-lawn movement is a trend that supports local pollinators and wildlife by replacing manicured grass lawns with native plants and flowers. These no-lawn yards also help homeowners cut down on the money, time, and effort it takes to mow, water, and maintain traditional yards.
Even though this particular transformation took a few years, the wait was worth it. When the Redditor moved into their new house, they knew from the beginning that they wanted to replace the front yard.
"In 2020, we moved in and I asked my partner if I could replace the front lawn with garden. He said, 'let's wait a year to see if we do any lawn things first,'" they explained in the post.
After a year of patiently waiting to see if they needed the lawn space, they got the go-ahead to test the waters with one bed around their tree out front. The following fall, the couple sprung on an opportunity when a neighbor had a tree cut down.
"We asked the tree surgeon to dump the wood chips on our lawn," they said. "I should have let the chips rot down first, but they were too unsightly, so I went ahead and spread them into agreed upon garden beds over cardboard."
Things hit a rough patch in 2022, when extreme drought, which is becoming increasingly common because of the planet's changing climate, prevented much from growing.
Despite the challenging year, 2023 proved that good things come to those who wait — especially when there is finally a good amount of rain. The Redditor showed off a now thriving front yard made up of "annuals, perennials, vegetables, tropicals, and really anything you can think of for herbaceous plants."
The garden is now a hot spot in the neighborhood.
"We constantly have neighbors come by to see what's blooming," they posted.
But it's not just the neighbors swooning over the transformation. Other Redditors loved seeing the impressive before-and-after photos.
"Stunning! I feel that the prairie plants really complement the ranch house. I'm just getting started on aiming for the same vibe," one person commented.
"Massive improvement," another said. "I'm sure the pollinators and other bugs love the change."
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