This Reddit post features three photos — two display healthy green blooming plants, and the third shows a newly planted area. As the title states, the homeowner did a full yard replacement to feature native Minnesota plants.

This process started two years ago for the owner, and the results have paid off. How did they do it? After a "fellow Minnesotan" in (zone 4b) asked about the technique, the Redditor responded with, "We used the lasagna gardening technique ... lay down cardboard and then some compost. Then 2 more layers of compost with paper. Top it off with cedar."

This "lasagna" method, explained by Mother Earth News, can convert poor soil into a nutrient-dense plant foundation. The richness comes from those biodegradable layers decomposing over time. You can approach this method using twigs, branches, food scraps, dry leaves, and grass clippings, with the key being to alternate the green and brown layers — like you do with cheese, meat, and noodles in lasagna. 

You don't need fancy equipment for this gardening technique. Just reuse items you already have, like those discarded grass clippings after mowing and cardboard from those Amazon delivery boxes. It's yet another way to recycle and reduce trash while cultivating lush plants that produce oxygen, aid in curb appeal, provide food sources, and more.

For biodiversity, the OP got a range of native plants from an area greenhouse that includes sunflowers, purple coneflower, asters, black-eyed Susans, Jacob's ladder, wild onion, milkweed, and some native grasses. Unsurprisingly, bees love their lawn as pollinators thrive by having a range of plants to fertilize. 

Pollinators like butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds are attracted to specific plants and trees for habitats where they nurture even more pollinators. Those sunflowers will attract many birds like robins. Jacob's ladder plants are loved by several types of bees (including the honeybee), moths, and skipper butterflies, Lake Forest College explained.

There were a couple of fellow Minnesotans in the comments who were curious about the process. 

One person exclaimed, "Fantastic!!" 

Now, they know about lasagna gardening.

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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