An appreciative neighbor recently shared pictures showcasing the gorgeous lawn alternatives they spotted in their Bend, Oregon, neighborhood.
Lawns are going out of style as more and more people are replacing them with drought-friendly landscaping and native plants. Some homeowners consult a professional like Yardzen about the best way to save time and slash their water bills, while others throw themselves into planting pollinator-friendly flowers or money-saving vegetable gardens.
Some, like this Redditor, simply enjoy the beautiful variety springing up in their neighborhoods. "Was walking around the Bend area on my way to coffee and was absolutely astounded by all the no lawns I saw," they said, echoing a similar post from a California resident. "Probably walked past 20 before I started snapping some pictures."
The houses they showed had removed all or part of their turf grass lawns and replaced them with an assortment of water-saving plants and flowers, including tall native grasses. Some gardens used tidy beds of mulch or gravel to keep weeds down, and many sported decorations such as garden gnomes, flags, and large boulders.
One memorable house featured a flagstone path lined on both sides with a riot of multicolored flowers reaching over 2 feet high. Compared to its yellowing lawn, the flowers were thriving.
That difference is one of the main reasons that homeowners choose to move away from traditional lawns. Grass needs a ton of water, especially in the hot, dry conditions that have plagued much of the western United States for years. Thanks to the drought, some areas are even offering homeowners subsidies to replace their lawns with something that uses less water.
"These are fantastic!" said one commenter. "Not all of them are to my personal taste, but they all clearly show intention in diversity, habitat, and design. These are some great photos to show people what's possible."
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