Landlords get a bad rap, but not all of them are unreasonable. A renter shared photos to the r/CaliforniaNativePlant subreddit of a successful multiyear garden transformation that their landlord "was all for."
Initially, the space was a plot of dirt in need of a lot of work, as the pictures showed.
"Landlord was going to re-seed with grass but I asked if it was okay for me to work on the landscaping and turn it into a native yard," the Redditor wrote.
With the landlord's enthusiastic blessing, the original poster went to work. The before-and-after images illustrate a striking change, introducing diverse native flora and vivid flowers.
These biodiverse landscapes offer several advantages over traditional lawns, including reduced water usage. Native plants often need less irrigation, which is significant, considering that the Environmental Protection Agency said the average American uses 82 gallons of water daily, with more than 30% of that for outdoor use.
These turf-free spaces also reduce maintenance time, as mowing is unnecessary. They naturally support pest control by attracting beneficial insects and birds. The garden now sees increased wildlife activity, and the OP was loving it.
"Best part is seeing all the pollinators that frequent the yard now," they shared.
Pollinators are important to our food sources, so the OP is doing their part to attract them to their space.
Despite these benefits of native lawns, some landlords resist allowing renters to implement such eco-friendly changes. They often enforce rules against cost-saving measures like native gardening or air-drying laundry.
Tenants aiming to advocate for these changes can explore tools like TCD's guide for working with homeowners associations to amend bylaws and work with management.
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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?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Making it look better 🌱 The OP's transformation was well-received by the Reddit community.
"Way more low maintenance than grass," a commenter wrote. "More interesting and more fun!"
"How nice! It'll only get better and better with age!" another raved.
A different poster wrote: "This is amazing! What do you use the square platform for?"
The OP revealed they had a birdbath featuring a solar mini-water pump that was a hit with the birds.
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