A homeowner showed off their gorgeous, pollinator-friendly yard, breaking away from the traditional grass lawns around them.
In the r/NoLawns subreddit, the Canada-based Redditor shared two photos of their front yard, showcasing the plants and trees that replaced a monoculture lawn. "First on the street to create a native pollinator habitat," they wrote in their caption.
The OP described their block as full of monoculture plants and non-native species. "There is no diversity, nothing native, and few birds. ....and then we showed up. lol."
In the comments, they shared the long list of plants and trees — "all native," they emphasized — that they planted to attract pollinators, including wild strawberry, wood ferns, butterfly milkweed, common milkweed, flowering raspberry, eastern flowering dogwood, and wild ginger, among many, many others. They also noted that the wild strawberry has been acting as ground cover, "that helps to hold moisture, and reduce weeds," though they added they still do some weeding by hand.
Pollinators are essential to the life cycle of hundreds of thousands of plants around the world. According to the USDA, three-fourths of the world's flowering plants and 35% of its crops rely on pollinators to complete their life cycles. Unfortunately, pollinators like birds, bats, and particularly bees have been under threat of habitat destruction, diseases, and environmental pollutants, meaning support from a native, pollinator-friendly garden is essential.
A native plant garden is also easier on the wallet in the long run. Swapping a monoculture lawn for native plants saves money on watering, fertilizer, and mowing, which also cuts down on pollution from gas-powered machines. Planning your yard or garden with techniques like xeriscaping, which is a landscape designed to reduce or eliminate the need for irrigation, is another great way to reduce spending while encouraging native plants and species to thrive.
Hosting a thriving yard with green space and wildlife buzzing about is also good for your mental health. The OP shared in the comments that their neighbors said they "had never seen a cardinal or an oriole in the years they lived on the street prior to my yard transformation."
Their fellow Redditors complimented the stunning transformation.
"This is wonderful. I honestly hope we are on the verge of a societal change where people can continue to see and take care of this amazing world that we are a very small part of," one person wrote.
"Good for you! Hopefully you will start a trend!" another added.
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If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation?
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