Homeowner warned after sharing before-and-after photos of front yard: 'I'd recommend pulling [those]'

One rogue gardener got an "A" for effort — but more of a failing grade for execution after a well-intentioned idea went sideways.

They shared their attempt of rewilding to the r/NoLawns subreddit with some before-and-after photos.

The story began with city maintenance leaving parts of their yard barren after replacing water lines. Instead of waiting for the city to reseed grass, they'd opted to put in their own wildflowers.

"City has yet to reseed for my neighbors while I have bouquet ready flowers!" the original poster reported back triumphantly. "Happy pollinators!"

The "after" image featured a vibrant blanket of purple wildflowers that surely looked like a big upgrade over the dirt patch that preceded it. There was just one problem. Those wildflowers they'd picked out were a big no-no.

"I'd recommend pulling/cutting those before they go to seed, they are invasive from Europe," a user pointed out. "Judging solely from the pic you're from North America, we have tons of beautiful native wildflowers here."

They attached some resources to the National Wildlife Foundation's Native Plant Finder and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for the OP's benefit.  Another user identified the plant as blue cornflowers.

As the Invasive Species Council of BC points out, this plant is also known as bachelor's button and is indeed invasive to North America. It can overtake areas quickly with negative effects on native vegetation and potentially crops.

Unfortunately, this plant is frequently sold at big-box stores, leading gardeners to spread it unwittingly. The situation, though disappointing to the OP and some fellow users who admired the colorful blooms, serves as a valuable lesson in taking extra care while rewilding.

Transforming bare land into a thriving eco-sanctuary supports pollinators and boosts biodiversity. Unlike traditional grass lawns, which demand constant upkeep, native plant landscaping offers low-maintenance options that are better matched to the climate.

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Even partial lawn replacements with native plants can reduce water bills and create easy-to-care-for green spaces. But as the OP's saga showed, there are pitfalls along the way if you don't ensure that you're buying the proper plants for your area.

One Redditor thought brands should be more user-friendly.

"They should really start including native ranges for their seed packets, most flowers are wildflowers somewhere," they suggested. "Just saying wildflower is too broad."

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