Proud homeowner shares photos after completing functional new yard feature: 'Excited to finally see it in action'

One proud homeowner showed two photos of their newly transformed garden in the r/Ceanothus subreddit devoted to California native plants.

"Excited to finally see it in action," the original poster wrote of their native rain garden. 

"Looks great! Was it hard to grade?" asked one commenter. Based on their response to the comments, the homeowner's efforts included removing lots of topsoil, hiring a contractor for regrading, and installing an underground drain pipe to capture roof runoff. 

In this case, grading was necessary to create a shallow depression since a rain garden must sit below the level of its surroundings to capture and absorb the rainwater easily. The OP's pipe permits the water to soak into the ground. However, the photo showed "visible water because it was raining heavily at the time," per their comment.

Capturing that stormwater runoff means less goes into storm drains and public waterways. Therefore, this garden becomes an ecological resource that prevents water pollution from fertilizer, pesticides, car oil, and street dirt. 

It also revitalizes groundwater. Per Groundwater.org, rain gardens remove as much as 90% of chemicals and 80% of sediments from rainwater runoff.

In addition, these gardens are a haven for native blooms such as the black sage, "popcorn" mountain lilac, and verbena, which the homeowner mentioned having. 

You can achieve a transformative lawn experience by rewilding your lawn. Start with soil amendments like adding compost or mulch and removing weeds. From there, use resources like the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Plant Hardiness Zone map, university extension sites, and the National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder to research which plants and trees are native to your growing zone. 

Any native garden helps conserve water by producing stronger and less thirsty plants than non-natives. Once established, they require less maintenance and become an invitation for pollinators. 

Such critters enable better plant reproduction by transferring pollen between different plants, further promoting biodiversity and food chain security. More biodiversity means more carbon-absorbing plants that adapt well to existing environments  — an essential way to battle climate change, according to the United Nations.

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If you don't want a big garden, combine a small one with buffalo grass or ground cover, which prevents erosion and weeds. Arid climates can benefit from xeriscaping that focuses on using drought-resistant plants within the existing hardscape design.

The comments were full of praise for the OP's hard work. "Awesome! Working like a charm," said one.

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