A Reddit thread has showcased one Ohioan's remarkable garden makeover thanks to an impressive yard rewilding project.
On the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit, the poster shared a photo gallery featuring the yard's transformation. The first set of images, taken in June 2022, show a typical dull grassy area with a patch of dirt, mulch, and a few errant shrubs. Nothing to stop and stare at — that is, unless you have two years to spare.
The next photos from 24 months later show the home garden's complete metamorphosis. The Reddit post's photos capture a cascade of flowers in bloom, surrounded by near-glowing green grass and plants of all heights, sizes, and colors. It's lively, bright, and all-around dreamy courtesy of the 256 (!) native flora planted back in 2022 when the "before" photo was taken.
Native plants, whether part of a partial or complete lawn replacement, can turn a commonplace home exterior into this kind of bona fide community oasis with almost no maintenance needed. It's not magic, just nature. Because everything is already from the region, it is used to the environment (soil, temperature, hydration) and prepared to support its pollinator ecosystem.
Choosing a lawn replacement like native plants, clover, buffalo grass, or xeriscaping means creating a unique, spectacular scene while also saving time, money, water, bees, and butterflies. Plus, by eliminating constant landscaping, you help reduce harmful pollution caused by fertilizers, pesticides, and mowers. (P.S. It's not just for experts — the garden in the post came from My Home Park, an easy-to-use service that finds local vegetation matches, ships beautiful blooms to you, and provides step-by-step planting instructions.)
Redditors were delighted by the home gardener's results.
"Good idea to capture the stages of growth along the way," applauded one commenter.
"Gorgeous and inspiring," added another.
Turns out, the gardener himself was just as thrilled, the original poster explained. "The owner has people regularly pulling into his driveway and thanking him," the Redditor shared in a comment. "He also told me, 'I can't believe that I'm the house with this beautiful garden.'"
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