One unlucky homeowner came home to a heartbreaking sight: The native plant and wildflower meadow they had spent years cultivating had been carelessly destroyed by neighbors.
They posted in the subreddit r/NoLawns mourning the loss. The neighbors "completely mowed it all down," they wrote. "My Ring camera captured the destruction. Took 20 minutes. Looks like trash. Hopefully it isn't too late in season to see some of them regrow."
They added that there was no demarcating fence, but several beehives and other plants marked the property line.
"We had a nice ~1 acre meadow that I loved to look at and provided food for my bees," they lamented. "The meadow was just starting to flower this year."
Commenters were sympathetic to the homeowner's plight.
"This is heartbreaking, I'm sorry that happened to your meadow," one wrote.
"I'm so sorry. I'd be livid," another agreed.
The grass-loving, mow-happy neighbor is a frustratingly common opponent that native plant gardeners often face. But the destruction of a wildflower meadow like this one isn't just inconvenient or rude — it's actually harmful to the local environment.
Audubon reports that "the modern obsession with highly manicured 'perfect' lawns alone has created a green, monoculture carpet across the country … [that] no longer supports functioning ecosystems."
Because of a scarcity of native plants, both wildlife and pollinators suffer from a loss of habitat and food sources. Maintaining grass yards is also often done with chemicals, which endanger humans and pollinators as well.
Finally, grass is expensive — constituting about 30% of daily water use for most Americans — and more difficult to maintain than natural lawns.
Fortunately, the number of Americans who report that they're planning to rewild their lawn has doubled in recent years. In fact, the OP posted an update, which explained that the mowing job was a mistake on the part of the new landscapers.
They added, "A silver lining is that I brought up the mowing of the side lot and [the neighbor] said she's actually interested in making that wildflower as well."
"So glad to hear this update!" one commenter enthused. "I love the idea of you expanding your wildflower meadow, and that your neighbor is on board. I sincerely hope your meadow grows back soon."
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