Gardener celebrates dad's remarkable transformation of outdated '90s lawn: 'This is absolutely gorgeous!'

One Redditor shared photos and fond memories of their father's beloved "lawn jungle."

The r/NoLawns community is dedicated to finding alternatives to lawns, which are expensive to maintain and hard on the environment due to the amount of water, herbicide, fertilizer, and mowing they need. 

Other garden alternatives, like rewilding, are cheaper, lower maintenance, and — above all — more beautiful.

"I still remember the front yard of this house when my family moved in almost 30 years ago," said the original poster. "It was a lot of crispy turf grass, one big tree, and a couple of shrubs framing the house."

It looks nothing like that now. The photos the original poster shared are full of huge, lush plants in incredible varieties, with charming flagstone paths cutting through the dense growth.

"My dad started with one garden bed and kept adding more and more and reshaping over the years," said the original poster. "The backyard is great, too. Still has some grassy area (for the family dogs) but mostly pathways through dense trees/shrubs/plants."

This type of garden isn't always possible for those who live in controlled areas, such as homeowners associations. There is often resistance to this kind of change (although, with some effort and research, you can change HOA rules).

"There have always been people in the neighborhood who just don't get it," said the original poster. "It's a pretty typical middle-class suburban area where most lawns are cared for by landscaping teams and treated with pesticides regularly. I'm so glad that I grew up in a home where I was taught about plants, and not to roll around in grass that had all kinds of chemicals on it."

The original poster also continued the tradition. "Now that I have my own house, my dad has been my go-to when I need gardening advice," they said. "He helped me get started and I am so appreciative!"

Commenters loved the beautiful yard, which was certified as a wildlife habitat.

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.

"My yard is a certified wildlife habitat as well!" said one user. "One day I hope to get it as densely planted as this. This is absolutely gorgeous, what an oasis it must be for so many — not least, the gardener!"

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