Homeowners associations can be notoriously hard to work around when it comes to planting anything other than a grass lawn. One Redditor got lucky, though, and was able to plant a gorgeous native garden in the front yard to take the place of their lawn.
Featured on the Reddit thread r/NativePlantGardening, the small area includes flowers, tall greenery, and potted plants.
The Redditor explained in the comments that it was supported by their HOA as well, "Some HOAs are power hungry, some live to terrorize, [and] others exist to keep their community clean and friendly. My HOA falls into the latter, thankfully."
"Yeah, sounds like you're a lucky one," responded another user, and they're right. Other gardeners have run into countless issues with their HOAs, from gardens deemed too big, to complaints about perceived weeds in what was actually a weed-free garden (the neighbors just weren't used to the type of plants they used).
The good news is that sometimes you can win the battle by simply confirming the limitations on HOAs in your state, or even by taking them to court.
It's worth it, too, because the no-lawn trend of replacing your cookie-cutter green grass with native plants can mean less effort, money, and resources required from you — not to mention, they're absolutely stunning.
This particular Redditor's garden isn't very low maintenance, but that is due to the plants they chose. One user responded in admiration but gave a perfect example of how versatile these gardens can be — mentioning that this level of commitment wouldn't be the case for them. "[It's] low maintenance prairie plants for me!" they wrote.
Regardless of which native plants you choose, all of them will require less water and resources. Native plants have already had time to adapt to your local ecosystem, so they'll require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides than non-native plants. They'll also be extra attractive to local pollinators and small animals, supporting the backbone of your entire local food chain.
This means less harmful chemicals from pesticides in your ecosystem, and stronger, healthier flowers in your yard — every gardener's dream.
Comments on the post were thrilled to see how beautifully the no-lawn turned out. "Lovely, as always," wrote one user, while another added, "This is gorgeous! I love how you mixed wetland with meadow-type plants."
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
