Turning a patch of lawn into something useful can change more than just the look of a yard.
A Reddit user showed off their "2025 garden journey" on r/gardening, and the before-and-after photos are pretty amazing.
The transformation included raised beds filled with vegetables and a cleaner layout. They picked up plenty of gardening lessons along the way.
The gardener shared that lettuce and kale "were actually left untouched" by pests, though something ate most of the carrots. They guessed raccoons might be to blame for that one, noting their cats roam the yard and seem to keep rabbits away.
They also admitted one thing they would change: the drip hose irrigation system.
"The plants at the end of the hose barely got any water," they wrote in the comments. "I'm planning on switching it out next spring."
Replacing grass with food gardens or native plants makes practical sense. According to research from UC Davis, swapping turf for climate-appropriate landscaping can cut outdoor water use significantly and lower household costs. It can even reduce the negative effects of common allergens.
These changes are especially valuable in hotter, drier regions where lawns take up a big share of residential water use.
Wild Ones, a nonprofit focused on creating a healthier planet starting with native plants, pointed to Cornell Botanic Gardens' native lawn as an example.
The biodiverse grass-alternative doesn't require any fertilizer or irrigation and is only mowed once a year. It supports four times the insect diversity and is made up of 85% native plant cover.
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Amazing 🤩 Reddit users were impressed with the transformation, leaving comments of support and praise.
"Awesome transformation!" one user wrote. "So excited for you!"
"Great workout, sense of real achievement, feed the bees and benefit of all that lovely fresh food," another added. "What's next?"
"Great transformation," a third said. "Really makes it worth all the hard work."
If you want to create a low-maintenance, pollinator-friendly garden, rewilding your yard or installing native plants will put you on the right track.
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