One of the most inspirational and rewarding parts of starting your own home garden is seeing it grow into something truly beautiful, especially when comparing it to how it was when you started. 

That is what one homeowner was able to experience firsthand, sharing photos of their yard's five-year progress on the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit. 

They moved to their home in 2020 and developed an "unmedicated special interest" in planting native plants all over, adding most of them via seed in the winter of 2020/2021. 

The photos show a stunning before-and-after slideshow of their previously relatively barren and simple yard developing into a lush, thriving garden absolutely chock full of gorgeous, massive plants. 

"This is so inspirational!" one Reddit user wrote passionately in the comments. "I'm on year two and this has just got me juiced to plan out the backyard for next year." 

"If I were a bug, I would be very happy in your yard," wrote another.  

Their garden is now practically overflowing with a broader variety of flowers, shrubs, bushes, and stalks, which is a sign of a healthy yard that will likely stay that way for years to come. 

Native plant gardens such as these are often much healthier than your average home garden because they are naturally adapted to the local environment, therefore requiring little to no maintenance from humans to thrive — aside from being planted in your yard. 

By rewilding your yard with native plants, you can also enjoy the benefits of not only a beautiful yard, but a lower monthly payment on your water bill, thanks to the minimal watering required. 

It can also save you money on expensive fertilizers, harmful pesticides, or chemicals, which can hurt your plants more than help them.

What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time ⏳ Not enough space 🤏 It seems too hard 😬 I have a garden already 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Doing this will also help attract local pollinators to your yard — this homeowner was lucky enough to see bees among other critters — helping the plants grow even faster and supporting the local ecosystem. 

Upgrading to a natural lawn is just one of the ways you can save money on watering your plants. Purchasing cheap, low-maintenance ground cover like clover or buffalo grass can also do the trick, as can drought-tolerant xeriscaping.

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