When one gardener on Reddit went from a bare mulch bed to a lush native plant garden, they documented the journey in a gorgeous time-lapse photo set.
They shared their beautiful results in r/NativePlantGardening, a community dedicated to growing local species that are adapted to the environment. A similar post appeared recently in r/NoLawns, a subreddit whose interests overlap heavily with r/NativePlantGardening.
"The corner garden is on its first year," this gardener said, sharing the series of images that tracked the plants' progress so far.
They started off with a charming, stone-bordered bed in the corner of a wooden fence, with a small path leading to a bird bath and a few scattered flagstones.
Over a series of 12 shots, the plants grew from the barest twigs and tiniest sprouts to healthy shrubs and blossoms that almost covered the space. A few plants at the back grew so tall that they fell over.
According to a comment, the plants included New England aster, Joe Pye weed, cardinal flower, golden Alexander, and hoary mountain mint, which grew well; and brown-eyed Susans, blue indigo, clethra, and blueberry, which struggled more. "Alive and kicking though!" the Redditor said. "We'll see about next year."
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They also shared a second time-lapse of a smaller garden at the side of their house with a trellis. "Side garden with the trellis is on a second year and I saw a huge difference with the butterfly milkweed," they said. "It really put on a show this year!"
Native plants don't need much water or fertilizers, since they're made for the conditions that already exist in the area, so they're cheap and easy to care for. Plus, native plants create food and shelter for local animals, insects, and birds, preserving the natural ecosystem. Butterfly milkweed in particular is the favored food of endangered monarch butterflies, and homeowners who plant it are doing the species a vital service.
"Nice work!" said a commenter — and they were exactly right.
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