Everyone loves a good set of before-and-after photos. Whether it's someone who lost a bunch of weight, a home makeover, or a garden glow-up, there is something so satisfying about seeing a dramatic transformation as a result of hard work.
One gardener in the United Kingdom showed off their project in a set of "obligatory" before-and-after photos on the r/GardeningUK subreddit — and it's as satisfying as any "Biggest Loser" or "Extreme Home Makeover" reveal.
"Almost finished my raised bed vegetable garden," they captioned the post.
The two photos look like entirely different yards except for the wall and fence along the sides. The "before" photo shows a long, narrow yard covered in lush couch grass, with a few plants and trees lining the edges.
The "after" photo looks like a community garden. There is no grass to be seen, and in its place are loads of raised garden beds packed with all sorts of veggies, a small greenhouse, and a few fruit trees in the back.
"I removed all the turf, which was mostly couch grass and had that nasty plastic netting underneath, and composted it into top soil," they explained. "Now I can finally concentrate on growing!"
That plastic netting, also known as landscaping fabric, is a nightmare to deal with and isn't even very good at doing what it's supposed to do, which is suppress weeds.
Gardening is a terrific hobby that has numerous benefits. Multiple studies have shown that it's good for your physical and mental health. Growing your own food can save money on produce, and it also reduces the need for it to be packaged and shipped — cutting down on single-use plastic and air pollution from transportation.
After listing dozens of fruits and veggies planted in the backyard, the OP mentioned the meal they just made. "Tonight, we had roasted Potatoes, Kale, Turnips, and Broccoli all from the garden," they said.
The OP also said they make "loads of jam … so we never need to buy jam."
Inexpensive jam for life is the only reason you need to go turn part of your yard into a garden right now!
The epic transformation blew away other Redditors.
"Wow this is so impressive! Well done! You'll have fruit and veg coming out of your ears!" one commenter said.
There was also a plethora of compliments.
"A thing of beauty," one person said. "This looks so good," another wrote. A third added, "This is wonderful!"
What are you waiting for? Stop reading this and go plant yourself a jam garden!
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
