Buying a home means you have the power to make big changes and exciting choices. One homeowner used their newfound freedom to overhaul the front yard of their house.
Sharing with an anti-lawn community on Reddit, one user posted a photo collage of their yard over the first few years of homeownership. In the picture, viewers can see the progression of their yard from a monoculture lawn to a diverse native plant sanctuary.
While there are no specific details on the many plants they used, the OP did add a few details in the comments. Saying they focused on native plants to create their lovely garden, "My goal was to create enough dappled light for other plants to grow underneath. It's been largely successful."
They also detailed some struggles they had with neighbors and even the city. "I had it half torn completely out by the city once. It was a whole ordeal. Thanks to a neighbor."
Stories of neighbors having issues with people choosing alternatives to lawns are all too common, from neighbors mowing down plants to cutting trees and even calling the HOA on folks.
Some homeowners have chosen to move away from traditional grass lawns due to their environmental impact. Grass lawns are a monoculture, meaning a large area covered in just one species of plant life. The University of California Santa Barbara wrote about the issues with grass lawns saying, "Our nation's lawns now cover an area larger than New York State, and, each year, we use about 2.4 million metric tons of fertilizer just to maintain them."
Planting native flora or a natural lawn in lieu of grass alleviates the water wasted, saving you money on your bills. Native plants are also better adapted to their landscape meaning they will likely need less maintenance to stay healthy, leading to fewer toxic herbicides or pesticides.
No lawn advocates were impressed with this garden.
🗣️ 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
One person wrote, "It looks like a Studio Ghibli house."
Someone else said, "Beautiful! This comes off so warm and welcoming to me."
"This looks great! Thank you for helping improve the environment, even if so slightly," wrote another commenter.
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