Homeowner shares striking side-by-side photos showing major difference between their yard and neighbor's: 'Definitely not very common'

Ditching typical monoculture lawns is a trend steadily picking up steam, and a user on Reddit's "r/NoLawns" showed a side-by-side comparison of two divergent grass alternatives.

The subreddit is "dedicated to reducing traditional turf grass lawns and promoting native, biodiverse, and pollinator-friendly alternatives," and Redditors gather there to show off the myriad ways they've designed their yards without turf.

One user shared a photograph of their yard, riotously adorned with thriving wildflowers, in contrast to their neighbor's wholly different method.

"I'm not a fan of my neighbors front yard so i retaliated by planting wild flowers on mine," a caption for the first image stated. 

In this case, however, the second photograph of their neighbor's yard — while indeed the polar opposite of theirs — inadvertently demonstrated another excellent strategy for replacing grass with an eco-friendly alternative.

The original poster's approach, planting low-maintenance wildflowers that were likely native plants, could be described as rewilding. Yard rewilding is a conservation practice that involves replacing turfgrass with plants and grasses native to the area.

Rewilding yards is becoming popular for several reasons: It boosts local biodiversity, supports the native pollinators crucial to our food supply, and reduces the use of harsh chemicals.

Additionally, upgrading to a natural lawn or rewilding spares resources like water, saves money, and requires significantly less upkeep; unfussy native plants are inherently suited to the region.

As for the neighbor's yard, of which the OP was not fond, it exemplified another fantastic alternative to a monoculture lawn: xeriscaping. Xeriscaping aims to reduce water use by installing drought-tolerant plants and features like gravel that require no irrigation.

Although the OP preferred the spray of colorful, irregular flowers in their own yard, xeriscaping is an excellent option. The second photograph was perhaps minimalistic in contrast, but xeriscaping can be incredibly creative and vibrant, as some users observed.

What's your preferred style of yard? Nicely cut grass 😎 Wild grasses and flowers 🌼 Xeriscaping 🌵 Fake grass 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"I think both are fine options depending on how much rain you receive. If in a dry area the gravel is fine to me since it reduces the amount of water wasted on a lawn. But, if enough rain falls then I like the wildflowers better," a top comment read. The OP replied: "Over here we have enough rain so I dont have to water wildflowers at all and I dont think I even know anyone who waters their lawn? Not saying no one does it, but its definitely not very common."

"There is no problem with the neighbors lawn. They are not wasting water on grass. Good on them! They could use a couple native waterless plants though," another opined.

"Gravel is much better than a monoculture grass yard. No gas mower emissions, no wasted water, etc.," a third agreed, though several users praised the OP's yard.

"Those wildflowers are gorgeous!" a user replied.

💰Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.