Bringing nature back to cities is beneficial for your mental and physical well-being. As one Redditor recently shared, it can be so easy to do so.
Posting in the subreddit r/NativePlantGardening, the Philadelphia resident shared pictures of their tiny urban garden patch.
"How could anyone prefer a lawn," the OP wrote after sharing images of their garden.
"They just don't know you can do this," one Redditor responded in the comments.
The photos showed a wide range of native plants and wildflowers, along with a sign designating the area as a pollinator habitat.
Installing a native plant garden is a great way to bring nature into urban areas and create spaces that support your physical and mental well-being. In fact, studies have proven the health and social benefits of living with wild nature, per an article published by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
Rewilding your yard can also save you money and time on garden maintenance. Unlike monoculture lawns, native plants have adapted to the local environment. This means once they are established, they usually thrive on their own, removing the need to spend hours watering or adding fertilizers to your yard.
As the Redditor's garden sign highlighted, native plants also provide a great habitat for pollinators, such as birds, bees, and butterflies.
Pollinators are vital for food production. Nearly three-quarters of the crops we produce rely on pollination by insects or other animals. Surprisingly, these crops include coffee and chocolate, as well as many fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, per reports by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
🗣️ If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation?
🔘 Making it look better 🌱
🔘 Saving money on water and maintenance 💰
🔘 Helping pollinators 🐝
🔘 No way I ever get rid of my lawn 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
If a native garden seems too wild for you, you could also consider switching your lawn to a natural lawn by planting clover or buffalo grass. These plants will provide you with all of the benefits listed above while also giving you a nice lawn area that stays green all year round.
The best part: you don't need a lot of space to reap the benefits of including native plants in your garden.
"I love this! I have aspirations to turn my own tiny urban patch into a native garden and this is giving me a lot of hope for what it could turn out to be!" a commenter wrote
"I wish I was your neighbor," wrote another Redditor.
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