Native plants have become all the rage and, as one Reddit user showed, can transform a garden into a truly beautiful space.
The user took to Reddit to share photos of their stunning cottage garden, which included many mostly native plants. The aim was to increase biodiversity and provide food for pollinators.
The post gained a lot of attention from fellow Redditors, who were amazed at the combination of native plants and non-native supporters. The comments also included several questions about the cute pond, which provided a focal point in the middle of the garden and supported several plants, fish, damselflies, and even green frogs.
The original poster described the garden as "a heavily native inclusive garden, but not an exclusive one, with around 70% native species or their cultivars."
Including native plants in your garden is a great way to support pollinating insects while also saving money on water, fertilizer, and pesticides. Native plants are adapted to their environment, which means they often require very little extra care.
Pollinators play a vital role in supporting healthy ecosystems and food production. This is not only important for ensuring we have enough food to eat, but it is also important for supporting the economy, with pollinators adding more than $18 billion in crop production revenue every year, according to the USDA. Almonds, berries, non-citrus fruits, and squash are just some of the important crops that are pollinated by honey bees and other insects in the United States.
Supporting pollinators doesn't have to involve spending a lot of time or money on converting your yard. Inexpensive ways include switching to a natural lawn by replacing traditional lawns with clover or buffalo grass.
You also don't need to convert your whole yard — providing just a small patch containing native plants, clover, or buffalo grass can go a long way toward supporting pollinating insects while also reducing the money you spend on garden upkeep. Native plants can even do well in pots on a terrace or balcony space.
If you like spending time in the garden, you might consider a more extensive project like this cottage garden.
Several commenters were impressed with the effort that had gone into creating this patch of paradise, with one user commenting, "This is truly amazing!!"
"Glorious!" another stated. "I'm so impressed and a little jealous."
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