One proud gardener has taken to Reddit to show off the third year of growth in their "pocket prairie."
The picture shows a variety of pink, purple, and yellow flowers amid thriving greenery that gives the whole patch a dreamy, vibrant appearance.
"Planted on the slope just off of my patio," the Redditor said in the caption, adding in the comments that it's a great place for a morning coffee or tea, or even a more adult beverage in the evening.
"It's a mix of plugs from my own mini nursery and also directly sown with native seeds," they said.
In addition to the prairie being absolutely gorgeous to look at, the original poster said it had been bringing wildlife that is a "joy to observe."
"Weasels and shrikes hunt voles right out the living room window," they detailed in the r/NativePlantGardening community. "I've seen mink chasing ground squirrels, and a massive increase in bird diversity hunting insects in the gardens and habitats. It's been great."
Unsurprisingly, the picture brought a lot of admiration on Reddit, as well as envy.
"Stunning," one user said. "I wish I had land. I am more than slightly jealous of your setup!"
But while this commenter lamented their lack of available space to grow, the OP said that even growing plants in pots on balconies can help wildlife, while they also recommended volunteering to boost knowledge and help the local community.
Indeed, community gardens have been shown to bring many benefits. A study from the University of Colorado, Boulder, published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal studied the health impacts of gardening on 291 nongardening adults from the Denver area.
They were split into two groups, one that began gardening immediately and one that waited a year, and the findings were fascinating. The first group got 1.4 grams of fiber more than the waiting group, and they showed an increased level of activity of 42 minutes a week.
Moreover, the new gardeners reported decreased stress and anxiety, especially those who had already reported elevated levels of these two issues.
The picture of the pocket prairie might have even encouraged some users to get their hands in the dirt and plant some native flowers — which would bring pollinators, require little maintenance, reduce water bills, and be hardier in local weather conditions.
"Gorgeous photo...love the flowers and composition of the pic," one user said. "Postcard-worthy."
"Oh hell yeah!" another added. "That's beautiful!"
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