One homeowner decided to make a huge change in their yard by turning a section of lawn into a native flower bed.
They shared their transformation in r/NativePlantGardening. "Before and after," they said, showing off two photos.
In the "before" image, there is a brick house with a flat, boring lawn in front. However, they've marked out a large, winding section along their driveway and the front of their house, and they've covered it with cardboard to smother the grass. This is a common technique for rewilding a lawn.
In the "after" photo, the new garden bed has been finished with a brick border and filled in with lush plants, including pink and yellow flowers.
"Could you talk a little about your plant selection?" asked a commenter.
"I could talk for hours," the original poster replied. "What we see in this photo (taken early May) in front and in back on edges is rose verbena, which spreads very well and attracts lots of fun insects. It stays nice and short and blooms from the beginning to the end."
The original poster had a whole wealth of information about the other plants in their garden. "The pale flowers about mid-photo are hairy penstemon," they explained. "The taller yellow in the background are Golden Alexanders. This is early spring. The unbloomed in the shot are a variety of coneflowers, NE asters, monardas, blue false indigo and various milkweeds."
Their selection focused on native flowers — ones that grow easily with very little upkeep because they've adapted to local conditions. That makes them cheap and easy to grow — not to mention attracting pollinators, as the original poster mentioned. Plus, they're beautiful to look at.
And, as the original poster demonstrated, you can get all these benefits by replacing even part of your lawn.
🗣️ If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation?
🔘 Making it look better 🌱
🔘 Saving money on water and maintenance 💰
🔘 Helping pollinators 🐝
🔘 No way I ever get rid of my lawn 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"Looking great," said another commenter, with a thumbs-up emoji.
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