Reaping the many benefits of growing a native garden is wonderful. Sharing those benefits with loved ones? Even better.
One Redditor posted their experience helping their grandparents transform their yard into a thriving native plant garden in the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit.
The first photo captures the yard before the transformation began. The original poster wrote: "My grandparents have had the same backyard for 50 years. Manicured lawn and overgrown thicket with invasive everywhere."
This savvy gardener helped their grandparents pull up the invasives and install native plants in their place. The second photo shows the work in progress, and the third image is of the finished project.
Months later, the renovation really paid off. The original poster wrote: "My grandmother turned to me and said, 'Bobby, I doubted this whole thing, but ever since we put that garden in I have noticed so many birds, cardinals, humming birds, butterflies and bees! I love it and want more!'"
Seeing wildlife thrive among your plants is one of the many perks of having a native garden. Native plants require less maintenance, labor, and water since they're adapted to their regions and can flourish easily. Gardeners with native plants also enjoy lower water bills and service fees as well as fewer chemicals in their yards.
Removing invasive species is a smart move for any garden. These plants can spread quickly, become an annoying pain to keep at bay, and even destroy an entire ecosystem. Eliminating invasives and growing native plants instead provides a healthy ecosystem for pollinators, allowing them to thrive and do their important work of protecting our food supply.
There are many options when rewilding your yard or switching to a natural lawn. Replacing monoculture turf grass with clover or buffalo grass will reduce water consumption and save time by reducing the need to mow. Installing native plants and xeriscaping reduce irrigation needs and maintenance.
Commenters on Reddit loved the OP's post. One user said: "Awesome job!"
Another posted: "This is a gift that's gonna just keep giving."
One Redditor commented: "This yard looks beautiful!"
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