After clearing invasive plants from their yard and restoring a natural habitat, one Redditor captured photos of an incredible array of wild visitors.
"We converted half an acre of honeysuckle and Bradford pears to a yard of permaculture with lots of native plants and two ponds," the Redditor explained in their post on r/NativePlantGardening.
They posted pictures of a bluebird nest — the first with six eggs, and a later photo where the nest is stuffed with healthy chicks.
"Usually Mom has four eggs, but this year, she blessed us with six," the original poster explained in a comment. "The family usually disappears for a while after the babies fledge and then [they] come back late summer and stay through the winter."
In the same comment, they shared even more photos: some "before" shots of the yard lost in a tangle of invasive plants, and some "after" images of their butterfly garden and the work they're doing on their pond. Several of the pictures showcase wildlife: a rabbit, a toad, and some small, yellow birds.
That's one of the major benefits of replacing invasive plants with native ones. Invasive plants can grow so explosively in part because none of the wildlife in their new environment has evolved to eat them. Native plants are part of the area's natural ecosystem — so they offer food and resources to insects, birds, and other creatures.
Not only are these animals beautiful to watch in your yard, but some help and protect your garden. Pollinators, in particular, are essential. Without them, flowering plants can't mature to produce fruit and seeds.
Native plant gardens are also great because the plants are adapted to the weather in the area. That means they need little water and little care, making them cheap and easy to keep. Other inexpensive options include clover and xeriscaping.
Commenters were in love with the original poster's photogenic visitors. "Oh I love the rabbit sploot and the faaaat toad!" said one user.
"I only recently learned about Bradford pear trees. They were proper stinking all over the neighborhood this year, it was awful," said another user. "You've done a beautiful thing here."
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