Contrary to what many may believe, you don't always need fancy tools or a complicated plan to landscape your lawn. 

DIY gardener Brandon Gentry (@BrandonTaylorGentry) showed TikTok how you could easily upgrade your lawn with materials in your home and in most retail stores' gardening sections: cardboard and mulch.

@brandontaylorgentry Replying to @LowKeyLoki Check out all the weeds one year later. What other questions do you have about no dig gardening? #diy #landscaping #gardening #fyp #nodig ♬ original sound - Brandon Gentry DIY

Repeating the DIY landscaping process he shared in a previous video, Gentry laid cardboard down on the grass lawn along the walkway. Though not shown in the follow-up video, Gentry likely wet the cardboard and laid down mulch to cover the cardboard, as he did in his first video. 

Commenters previously questioned whether using cardboard to kill the lawn, or sheet mulching, would actually work for landscaping their yard. 

In the video, Gentry listed out what skeptics had said before: "What happens to the grass? How long does cardboard last? Would it get moldy? What about bugs?"

Demonstrating how successful his cardboard mulching had been, Gentry dug through the landscaped mulch. He showed that the cardboard had disintegrated over time, becoming one with the dirt. 

"Not even one year later, the cardboard and grass are already composted and decomposed," Gentry said. 

His new landscaped terrain is replaced by a xeriscape of carefully selected native plants. They're more drought-tolerant than traditional turf, which is invasive. 

Cardboard acts as a natural weed killer, starving the weeds below the wet material and preventing the weeds from accessing sunlight. As a natural and decomposable material, cardboard eventually breaks down, adding to the soil structure and composition. This helps the soil retain moisture, benefiting plants, and attracts beneficial organisms that contribute to greater soil health. 

Planting native plants also discourages invasive plant species from overtaking your lawn. Native plants benefit local wildlife and pollinators, who rely on them for food and shelter. Pollinators contribute to plant and crop reproduction, ultimately protecting the food supply for humans and local wildlife. 

If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation? Making it look better 🌱 Saving money on water and maintenance 💰 Helping pollinators 🐝 No way I ever get rid of my lawn 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

A natural lawn, using plants like buffalo grass or clover, grows slower and is more resilient against drought conditions. Their deep root systems can access nutrients and water from underground. This could ultimately save you time and money on lawn maintenance and water bills. 

Even a partial lawn replacement using xeriscaping or native plants, like what Gentry did, can yield lots of savings.

"Ignore the lawn lawyers you did good it looks good," one commenter wrote. 

"It looks great… I'm going to use this technique around my front yard/driveway," another user commented.

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