Homeowners shares photo of low-budget solution for backyard flooding issue: 'This used to flood like a swamp'

A resident of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, shared their DIY fix for a constantly flooding backyard on r/landscaping.

The budget-friendly solution was captured in a photo displaying an array of plants bunched together along a white fence.

"This used to flood like a swamp. Now the plants suck up all that water," the OP wrote.

Creating a rain garden is a smart, beautiful, and cost-effective way to deal with stormwater. Rain gardens are designed to capture and absorb rainfall into the ground to reduce runoff and prevent prone areas from flooding. 

They also help to filter out pollutants from runoff through the soil while providing food and shelter for butterflies, birds, and other wildlife, per the Environmental Protection Agency. Not to mention it's a free source of water for plants and flowers growing there.

However, the gardener did make one fatal mistake in their solution: no native plants were used. 

The Canna Lilies shown in the photo, while non-native, are not considered invasive, but they can grow aggressively and spread quickly. Native plants have evolved in a specific area for thousands of years, adapting to the region's soil, weather, and wildlife. 

Not only would native plants be more effective and lower maintenance, but they would also benefit the surrounding ecosystem and local pollinators. 

Pollinators are the backbone of our food supply, responsible for one out of every three bites of food, according to the Department of Agriculture. Their survival, in turn, aids human survival.

Native plants aren't only useful for rain gardens, but for any type of lawn replacement. You can also rewild with clover, vegetables, wildflowers, or buffalo grass. If you live in a dry climate where natural water is scarce, try out xeriscaping.

What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time ⏳ Not enough space 🤏 It seems too hard 😬 I have a garden already 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Outside of being scolded for not using native plants, the plant-positive solution was much appreciated.

"Good work," one Redditor commended.

"That's a beautiful grouping of plants," another wrote.

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