A homeowner has discovered a major perk of installing a native-plant lawn, as wildlife has flocked to the yard.
Posting to the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit, the homeowner revealed that a nest of baby birds had appeared in one of their floral plants.
"We found some baby birds in the middle of our garden phlox!" the poster wrote, attaching a photo of several fledglings huddled together in a nest with one chick lifting its head and opening its mouth towards the camera. In a comment under the post, the homeowner speculated that the baby birds were sparrows.
Garden phlox is a flower-blooming plant native to the eastern United States, stretching as tall as four feet. The low-maintenance flora features stunning blooms of pinks, purples and whites throughout the summer.
Not only is the plant beautiful to look at, but it also has several benefits for the environment. Garden phlox is known to attract and support pollinators like bees, supporting a stronger ecosystem. Experts warn against spraying phlox with any insecticides that may kill pollinating insects. This will also result in less toxic chemicals being used in your yard.
Garden phlox is just one of many native plants that can be planted in your lawn and offer such benefits for you and your surroundings. Native plant lawns can also save homeowners thousands of dollars.
For example, switching to a clover lawn may cost around $100 to seed; however, it will also slash the costs of water, fertilizer, and pesticides and weed control annually by over $300. An individual investment in native plants can also save upward of 1,750,000 gallons of water over the course of 10 years.
Several other members of the Native Gardening community on Reddit shared their love over the homeowner's lucky find.
🗣️ What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home?
🔘 Not enough time ⏳
🔘 Not enough space 🤏
🔘 It seems too hard 😬
🔘 I have a garden already 😎
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"Lovely! It will be fun to watch them grow if no local cats get them," one said.
"This is EXACTLY why we plant natives," another said, praising the homeowner for creating "the ideal habitat for the local fauna."
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
