One homeowner was excited to share before-and-after photos after a dramatic change to their yard.
"The last of the grass is gone," they proclaimed proudly in their Reddit post in the r/NoLawns community. "I was on a mission over the past year to remove all of the grass in the yard."
There are many reasons to ditch traditional grass lawns. Turf grass hinders water conservation efforts by guzzling up tons of the liquid. It also needs lots of maintenance, including mowing, edging, weeding, and fertilizing.
Alternatives like clover lawns, rewilded yards, and xeriscaping are way less work, saving owners a lot of time. Plus, many of those options include flowers that pollinators love, unlike grass.
This homeowner had one additional reason on their list: their dog.
"We got a German [Shepherd] puppy, and every time she used the bathroom, a chunk of grass died," they explained. "Instead of fighting the fabric of the universe, I decided to build this."
Their first step was to smother the grass and create a new, empty surface.
"I started by covering all of the existing grass with newspaper followed by a layer of mulch. I had the odd patch of grass try to poke through, but I think I finally won the battle," they said.
Then, they remade the yard to suit their personal taste. While a boring grass lawn is seen in the before image, the after photo shows raised metal planters, gravel and flagstone paths, mulch beds with plants and shrubs, and more outdoor lighting. The new layout even has a dedicated path leading to a trampoline.
Some commenters were critical of the new design. "Less nature-friendly than a yard full of grass," one user said.
But another commenter fired back: "It may just be small. Ours looked sort of like this for a bit in the first spring while the plants grew after we ripped the grass up. Now (spring/summer two) the plants and young fruit trees have gotten a lot bigger and are building habitat and nesting material as well as being interplanted with crops."
Other Redditors were fully supportive.
"I think this is a great example of how even small changes can make a difference for creating an interactive space," said one user. "This is totally practical, and it looks like a fun backyard. Kudos to you!"
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