A happy homeowner took to Reddit to post about their clever workaround that enabled them to include native plants in their garden just 10 months after moving in.
The homeowner shared photos that showed a stunning area of wildflowers at the side of their house with an area of lawn at the front.
The homeowner was forced to keep the lawn because the town's bizarre policy prevents homeowners and residents from growing plants taller than 20 cm in a 1.5 cm zone from the street.
The original poster shared that they had removed all the turf by hand and added a layer of quality soil before planting a variety of wildflower seeds to see what would take. They wrote that their new wildflower garden is now "always full of butterflies, bees, and small critters."
They also shared that they have further plans to replace the lawn with clover, a great lawn alternative that provides habitat for insects and other animals.
Incorporating native plants in your garden in some form can have a range of benefits. Native plants are adapted to the local environment and don't require watering or fertilizer, so they're great for helping to keep money in your pocket.
Native plants are also beautiful and provide habitat for a range of animals, including pollinators that are essential for food production.
Pollinators, such as birds, bees, and butterflies, provide essential services, and without them, the earth's land-based ecosystems would not survive — and that includes humans. Around 80% of the 1,400 crop plants we grow globally require pollination by animals.
Incorporating native plants can be as simple as dedicating a small patch to growing wildflowers or other native plants. You can also switch your traditional lawn for a native lawn that incorporates plants that provide green cover, such as clover or buffalo grass.
Using such lawn alternatives is great because they stay green all year and require little maintenance — a win-win situation.
The OP's photos were a hit with commenters who were amazed at the transformation.
"Looks amazing!" one poster wrote.
"Wow very impressively beautiful," wrote another.
Another commenter was amazed that the OP had had to find a workaround, writing: " What town said no to this…asking for research on where not to move."
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