Homeowner shares before-and-after photos after transforming backyard into natural oasis: 'Absolutely love it'

For one homeowner in Oregon, years of hard work are paying off as their native plant garden grows by the day.

"Pretty happy with how our backyard on the Oregon coast is going," they shared in the subreddit r/NoLawns. "First pic is June 2019, second is May 2024."

The first photo shows a rather drab, patchy grass yard; the second shows an abundant oasis of colorful blooms, raised beds, bird feeders, and thriving leafy plants.

"Very nice glow up," one person enthused.

The owner shared their approach, writing, "I worked on this one chunk at a time, removing grass and adding mostly native plants. … Off to the right out of the photo is more raised beds for veggies! And more native flowers mixed in because I can't not."

"Absolutely love it!!" another Redditor wrote, applauding the effort. "I am inspired for sure — I am in landscaping/planting/planning mode and I love what you have done!! Thank you for sharing!"

More and more homeowners are considering the switch from grass to native plants — and for good reason. Grass guzzles water in quantities far greater than those of native plants; in fact, grass accounts for about 30% of the average family's daily water use. 

And the expenses go beyond water bills. Grass lawns also require significantly more maintenance than native plant gardens like this one, often by factors of several hundred, per The Plant Native. Native plants also don't require harsh chemical pesticides or herbicides, and they avoid polluting the air with gas-powered lawn tools.

So it's no surprise that many, like this homeowner, are clearing the way for natural lawns. Whether they're growing their own food, scattering beautiful wildflowers, planting natives, or installing ground cover like clover, the number of Americans working to rewild their lawns has doubled in recent years. 

And, like this owner shared, not only do these native lawns create nurturing habitats for wildlife and local pollinators … they're just a lot prettier.

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