A Redditor has shared their front garden — which looks to be straight out of a fairytale — with a subreddit devoted to ending the reign of monoculture grass lawns.
The photo shows tall and abundant flowers blooming on either side of a path leading up to the poster's quaint home.
"I killed my grass by placing down cardboard with a layer of new topsoil," the poster wrote above the picture. "This is one full year of growth."
"In bloom right [now I] have lanceleaf coreopsis, blanket flower, larkspur and beardtongue. There are some bee balls and golden rods which bloom later, and also annuals like zinnias, cosmos and dill," they said in the comments. "Some volunteer plants by seed dispersal were yarrow, daisy fleabane and common milkweed. There's also wild violets growing." Almost all of these plants are native to North America.
Rewilding our yards can be a fulfilling and accessible way to make a sustained and positive impact on the environment while also providing personal benefits to homeowners.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, residential outdoor water use in the United States accounts for nearly 8 billion gallons of water daily. Most of this is used for landscape irrigation. Aside from being a major resource drain, many use chemicals to keep their grass green and weed-free, and these chemicals pollute soil and water sources. Lastly, monoculture grass lawns offer no benefit to pollinators or local wildlife.
Beyond creating a beautiful space, cultivating native plants creates food and shelter for local wildlife and a healthier ecosystem for pollinators all year round. This benefits humans, as pollinators protect our food supply. Additionally, native plants can potentially save us money and time on lawn maintenance, conserve water, and lower our water bills.
In addition to gardens such as this Redditor's, other eco-friendly, low-maintenance lawn-replacement options include buffalo grass and xeriscaping. Even a partial lawn replacement can allow us to reap these benefits.
Other Redditors took to the comment section to praise the poster's beautiful space.
"Enchanting!" one user commented.
"Soooo much better than plain, old, boring grass!" another said.
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