A Reddit user recently stunned the internet by revealing before-and-after photos of their front yard, showing how a once-boring, traditional grass lawn has been transformed over 15 years into a lush, eco-friendly garden.
The original shot shows a typical American lawn: wide swaths of grass with a single towering tulip poplar tree. But the story doesn't end there. After the poplar had to be removed because of instability, the homeowner planted three river birch trees and a crepe myrtle.
With a little more time and some gardening TLC, the area blossomed into a thriving shade garden.
"The entire area is now heavily shaded with the plants outside the fence being deer resistant ferns, hellebore, astilbe, spirea," the original poster described. "The area inside the fence is a moss lawn and hosta bed that I put in a couple years ago. Waiting on the hosta to fill in."
Traditional lawns may look tidy and uniform, but they demand huge amounts of water, pesticides, and lots of maintenance — without offering much benefit beyond an established neighborhood aesthetic.
On the other hand, upgrading to a natural lawn with native plants, moss, clover, and buffalo grass (as well as eco-smart landscaping techniques like xeriscaping) not only slashes water bills but also reduces the need for mowing, freeing up time and energy for homeowners.
And as this homeowner is already enjoying, planting more trees can help shield neighborhoods from the "heat island" effect, making temperatures more comfortable for everyone.
Rewilding your yard also supports pollinators, which helps to protect our food supply while also creating healthier mini-ecosystems that benefit entire communities. There are plenty of ways to upgrade your yard, and even partial lawn replacements can help households enjoy these rewards.
Reddit users in the post's thread couldn't get enough of the transformation.
"Gorgeous," one commenter wrote.
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Saving money 💰 Another admired the original poster's setup, adding: "I like that fence. I need to replace our dog run fence to keep animals away from our veggies. Nice choice."
A third commenter simply said, "Love it!"
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