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Homeowner shares before-and-after photos of incredible landscaping transformation — here's the surprising tools used to make it happen

You can clearly see the marked difference.

You can clearly see the marked difference.

Photo Credit: Reddit

One smart Reddit user has displayed how removing invasive plants, including bittersweet and autumn olive, can help a landscape return to its natural beauty. 

You can clearly see the marked difference in the before/after pictures posted to the r/Landscaping subreddit. 

You can clearly see the marked difference.
Photo Credit: Reddit

And what did they use for this magnificent job? "Hand pruners, battery hedge trimmers, Sawzall, and an arborist saw depending on the circumstances."

A Redditor based in New England commented that bittersweet is "my nemesis" there, with the original poster replying that "all the homies hate bittersweet." Another suggested removing the entire plant or taking precautions to ensure it can't grow back.

The original poster added that phragmites will be a longer-term project that will require them to "stay on top and cut them back often while other plants can get a foothold and outcompete."

The benefits of taking out invasive plant species far outweigh the aesthetic aspects; indeed, they threaten the entire ecosystem around them.

According to the National Audubon Society, removing invasives is just the first step in protecting the ecosystem. The next step vital to preserving biodiversity is restoring native plants to the area. By installing a native plant garden, you'll be able to sustain a livable landscape for birds and other animals.

Native plants are those that occur naturally in the area in which they evolved. They have evolved together with local animal life to produce an infrastructure that plants, insects, and animals rely on to survive. 

There are many benefits of landscaping with native plants. Plants are generally healthier and stronger in their native environment and climate, which saves you time and money on maintenance — and they can help decrease pollution because they take away the need for mowers and heavy equipment. Because they've evolved to thrive in their area, they bring a healthier ecosystem for local pollinators

To help with the environment, xeriscaping — the process of landscaping that lessens or even eliminates any need for irrigation — is becoming more and more popular, and native plants fit right in with that approach. 

There are many eco-friendly, low-maintenance options that can help you xeriscape. Examples include buffalo grass, clover, yucca, artichoke agave, prickly pear cactus, lantana, native milkweed, blue mistflower, salvia, Turk's cap, guara, and firebush.

TCD has its own starter's guides to either rewild your yard or switch to a natural lawn.

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