Distressed homeowner desperate for solutions after losing battle with out-of-control garden: 'I've been fighting ... for years'

Ridding your yard of invasive plants is daunting — especially when you want to cultivate a natural garden instead. One Reddit user learned this the hard way when they found chamberbitter, spotted lady's thumb, and common violet — extremely invasive plants — throughout their lawn. 

"Aim is to turn the back yard into a native plant garden but don't know where to start with the invasive. Help!" the original poster wrote in the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit, which is dedicated to folks who are passionate about growing native plants.

Invasive plants can be a recipe for disaster. They can harm native plants "by spreading pests and plant diseases, and competing for space, light, nutrients and water," according to the Non-Native Species Secretariat of Scotland. They can also harm birds, butterflies, and other pollinators, which are facing significant population decline. 

The NNSS also highlights how detrimental invasive species can be to your savings. This is because they can interfere with utilities and other native plants. On a national scale, they can impede agriculture, make it harder for recreational activities such as fishing, and even affect people's health. 

"Once established, invasive plants are costly to control and the damage they cause can be irreversible," the NNSS explained.

The many hours of work and the costs that come with managing invasive plants are greatly contrasted by the upkeep of native yards, wherein the work and price are slashed.

Native plants "allow you to use less fertilizer, water, and fewer pesticides," according to The Cool Down. In turn, they cut down on maintenance costs, water usage, and harmful chemical additives. They also create a healthy ecosystem for pollinators, which help protect our food supply.

By pulling up invasive plants and replacing them with native ones, the painstaking time spent in de-weeding will be worth it.

Others in the subreddit said they struggled with these plants for years; luckily, they are making progress.

"I've been fighting chamberbitter for years. It's tough, because those seeds seem to remain viable for a long time. So even covering it with black plastic wouldn't work," one Redditor said. "A few inches of soil would. Good luck."

How did your garden turn out this year? Amazing Could be better Terrible I don't have a garden Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Another mentioned that after hard work, they are seeing success.

"I have hand-pulled [chamberbitter] for hours," they explained. "I spend more than an hour a week hand-pulling. Fortunately some other stuff is growing in."

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