A gardener on the subreddit r/NativePlantGardening shared a series of before-and-after photos showcasing the one-year progress of their native plant garden. 

"It has been filled with so much learning and many surprises," the user wrote in the post. 

The garden started off rather barren, with only a few plants scattered about the yard in patches. 

Now, those seedlings have blossomed into vibrant and thriving flower beds of different sizes and colors, attracting insects like butterflies, bees, and leaf bugs. 

"The transformation from before and after is incredible. All that hard work paid off. Good job!" one user commented. 

"Your post made me smile! Native plant gardening has done for me what you describe, too; it's unlocked something & changed me profoundly," another user began. 

"And I, too, have involved extended family & convinced the parents to let me convert the majority of the front yard to natives, in an HOA neighborhood where everyone has 1" grass lol," they added, relating to the original poster's situation.

Natural lawns and native plant gardens like this thrive because the plants involved are adapted to the local environment's conditions and weather, requiring scant maintenance to thrive. This strategy enables gardeners like the poster to save money while taking pride in their accomplishments.  

Rewilding your yard with native plants attracts pollinators like the bees and butterflies OP photographed. These pollinators help plants grow by spreading seeds across the environment, thereby benefiting both wildlife and humans by aiding food production. 

When selecting native plants for your garden, consider factors like your yard's slope and which specific plants are known to thrive in your area. 

Lawn replacement options like clover and buffalo grass require very little maintenance if installed correctly, and xeriscaping is rapidly becoming popular as a means to save water and reduce yard work significantly.

How did your garden turn out this year? Amazing 🤩 Could be better 🙂 Terrible 🤬 I don't have a garden 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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