Homeowner shares jaw-dropping before-and-after photos of garden transformation: 'This looks amazing'

A few years of hard work can really pay off, especially when it comes to gardening. 

One Redditor decided to share the fruits of their labor in the r/GardeningAustralia subreddit, posting several before-and-after photos of their yard, which they transformed from a monoculture lawn into a native garden. 

They wrote, "The difference a few years can make! Some before & after shots of our (mostly) native garden."

Other Reddit users loved the changes the original poster made and showered the native garden with praise. 

"This looks amazing!" one person exclaimed before asking for advice on how to do the same with their garden. 

Someone else commented, "It's my dream to have a garden like this."

The original poster had the right idea in making the switch from a monoculture lawn to one filled with native plants. Not only does their yard look much more beautiful, but this person is also likely saving significantly on their water bill, as native plants require little watering. 

These plants also need little maintenance, which saves the original poster from having to spend time regularly doing yard work. 

Native plants are better able to withstand whatever Mother Nature sends their way; that hardiness ensures they last longer than other plants. Additionally, these plants can help prevent soil erosion, as they can limit water runoff. 

Best of all, native plants attract more wildlife and pollinators to a garden, as the original poster attested in the comments, noting they were seeing more birds and bugs in their yard. Pollinators are vital to protecting our food supplies, so the more around, the better, and wildlife, in general, increases the biodiversity of a lawn. 

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.

Admittedly, rewilding your entire lawn can take a lot of time, but you can reap the benefits of native plants even by planting just a handful. Online databases can tell you which plants are native to your area, but you can also start with more common ones, like buffalo grass or clover.

Doing so might also lead to praise for all your hard work. For example, one Redditor saw this garden and said, "This is beautiful. Great work."

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.