A new gardener has taken to Reddit to vent frustration and seek advice after making an easy mistake and found support in the community online.
While setting up a native lawn is beneficial to pollinators and saves water, it doesn't mean folks won't make a mistake while transitioning their space.
Luckily, the massive online community is ready to help. The r/NativePlantGardening subreddit alone has over 98 thousand members and ranks in the top 2% of communities on the popular website.
That very subreddit is where one user posted and reached out about their struggles. This novice gardener wrote that they had gone to the plant nursery and spent over $100, only to realize they had purchased plants not native to their region.
"I'm really trying to convert my yard into a native plant habitat for birds and pollinators so I'm upset I made this mistake," they wrote. Happily, they also give themselves grace, saying, "but I'm new at this and learning."
Not wanting to just throw the plants away or plant non-native species in their lawn, the user asks the community what they could do with the plants they have already purchased.
Folks working to start native lawns deserve this kind of encouragement and assistance. It is a step more people should take. Replacing a grass lawn with a thriving section of native plants will save money on water, save time on landscaping, and provide a habitat for pollinators.
Planting native species is good for the gardener, the community, and the environment. For more information on how to make the switch, check out The Cool Down's guide to native lawn transitions.
Commenters on the post came to the rescue with all sorts of suggestions.
One suggested, "Can you call the nursery and tell them you bought the wrong plants and would like to exchange them?"
The author replied, "One is letting me exchange them. … Thanks for the idea!"
Another pointed out a new possibility: "Why not put them in containers outside? You can deadhead the flowers if you don't want re-seeding."
Another Redditor put the blame at the seller's door. "If you have indeed bought a cultivar that is invasive, not only should it be returned but you should discuss with the nursery that they need to stop supplying plants that are invasive," they said.
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