One Georgia homeowner stunned the r/NoLawns community with their garden's glorious three-year transformation from a struggling lawn to a thriving paradise.

"We bought this place four years ago; it's a house on a city street right by the town square and a local college campus," they explained. "My husband and I began turning the patchy mix of grass and weeds into gardens beds in August/September of 2021."

The original poster wasn't just looking for pretty flowers for their yard. "I've always loved gardening and was reading more and more about how replacing lawn with plants is much more beneficial for pollinators/conserving water," they said.

Indeed, turf grass is an extremely thirsty plant. Most landscaping needs much less water by comparison, making it cheaper and better for the environment. Rewilding your yard with native plants is the best option, as they can live on the natural rainfall. Meanwhile, grass doesn't feed pollinators, but flowers do.

This homeowner started with a hydrangea hedge to give character and structure to the yard. "After that we just preferred flower beds so much more we just started sheet mulching section by section over the course of the next couple years," they said. "If I had to do it over again, I would have just ordered a Chip Drop and sheet mulched the entire yard at once. Sheet mulching has improved the soil by leaps and bounds."

According to the original poster, they aren't the only one who loves all the beautiful life in their yard. "I absolutely love seeing all of the pollinators, rabbits, foxes, owls, and hawks that have begun to enjoy the garden over the past few years," they said. "Butterflies of all varieties swarm the place in summer, and Goldfinches set up shop here at the end of summer/beginning of fall."

Commenters were bowled over by the transformation in the original poster's photos. "My jaw fell to the floor when I saw the before," said one user. "Three years!? I didn't know hydrangeas could get that large in three years."

"I tend to get really obsessive with hobbies," the original poster replied. "Which actually works for gardening because there's always something to do."

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.

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