Gardener shares stunning before-and-after photos of yard transformation after rainstorm: 'Never died'

A home gardener discovered a new favorite plant that can be grown right in their backyard with minimal oversight.

In a Reddit post, the gardener shared photos of their backyard transformation. 

It was powered by nothing more than last season's poppies and a whole lot of rain. The post features a dull bed of dead poppies that revived itself into a full bed of bright yellow flowers.

"My poppies from last season never died back completely, now they're exploding with growth from the rain!" said the original poster.

This small backyard moment showed how beneficial it is to start growing resilient native plantings that do the heavy lifting themselves. Making the switch from lawns to native plants can be a major win for everyday homeowners.

Native plants like California poppies save money by using far less water and cutting back on mowing and yard upkeep. They can even reduce your reliance on fertilizers or pesticides and give you a more colorful and biodiverse space to enjoy.

Environmentally, the benefits run even deeper. Native plants support pollinators, improve soil health, and create varied habitats that monoculture lawns simply can't provide. As this post showed, they're also built to survive local weather patterns, including dry summers and surprise bursts of rainfall.

Redditors were quick to cheer on the poppy resurgence.

"California poppies are the shiznit. I love them," one user wrote. "They come around in November and March when you are dealing with winter blues and ohgodwhenisspring coming and they're just so f****** cheerful. Hooray poppies!"

"Mine didn't die back all the way either, and they are in full sun and were in some days of triple digit heat. Now they are flourishing again," shared another.

A third person added, "I always thought they were annuals until last year! Now I just cut them back when they look dry and crummy and they start coming back wherever they want. Maybe my favorite native plant!!"

Would you want a garden that can take care of itself? Sign me up 👍 Depends on the price 🤔 No — that ruins the fun ☹️ I don't like gardening ❌ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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