One homeowner on Reddit posted to show the incredible progress with their yard after tearing out their unwanted lawn.
The Redditor said they were from Los Angeles, California, an area that is experiencing a years-long drought. In response, the state has offered rebates for residents who replace their water-guzzling turf grass with more affordable, eco-friendly landscaping.
Some Californians use landscaping companies like Yardzen to create beautiful designs with low-maintenance native plants. Others choose to do the heavy lifting themselves.
That's what this Redditor decided to do in 2019. The "before" picture they shared showed a strip of boring grass struggling to thrive in the dry conditions. In the progress pictures, the lawn was gone, and the Redditor was digging holes to plant dozens of nursery plants.
In the "after" photos from three years later, those small plants had exploded with growth. Thriving California poppies, Cleveland sage, and manzanita turned the narrow yard into a desert paradise.
"The final result is absolutely amazing!" said a commenter. "I love seeing the whole process like you've posted, it helps to inspire me and get me ready for my own planting."
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Yard transformations like this one aren't just gorgeous, they're also practical. Native plants are adapted for the local conditions, so they need much less care and water than grass, saving homeowners time and energy.
Even better, the local pollinators seemed to love what the original poster had done. They shared a close-up of a butterfly that visited one of their flowers.
"You can now enjoy my favorite part after doing my front and back yards: watching all the bees and butterflies having a party," said a commenter.
"Exactly this," the original poster replied. "Can't get enough. I'm out there multiple times a day."
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