Homeowner shares before-and-after photos after solving major landscaping conundrum: 'I feel your pain'

A home gardener has received praise online after sharing before-and-after photos of a major backyard transformation. 

Posting to the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit, the Redditor's pics showed how they turned a barren, unused patch of dry dirt into a lush, plant-filled oasis over the course of a couple of weekends.

Redditors flocked to the comments to compliment the OP's efforts. 

"That appears to have been [a] quick transition from a grassy/weedy area to a garden bed," one praised.

"I feel your pain!" another sympathized. "So worth it though!"

The post highlighted the many benefits of turning all or even just a portion of your yard into a native plant garden. Because they evolved to thrive in local climates, native plants typically require less water and maintenance, saving you money and time. They also benefit local wildlife such as pollinators.

Other options for incorporating more native plants into your landscaping include upgrading to a natural lawn or going all out and rewilding your yard. 

Experts agree that choosing native plants can help everything from your wallet to bees and butterflies.

"There are many benefits of landscaping and gardening with native plants, including conserving water, protecting soil from erosion, and creating habitat and providing food for many different animals, including birds, pollinators, and small mammals," according to the Department of Agriculture.

Native plants can benefit local human populations, as well. 

If you have a lawn, what aspect of it do you value most? The way it looks 🤩 The way my family uses it 👪 It's enjoyable to mow 😎 It's cheap to maintain 💰 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Simply by growing native plants, gardeners can bring enormous beauty to a community and joy to its residents," the USDA added. 

Furthermore, the act of gardening itself is good for your mental and physical health. 

Doing light gardening burns more calories per hour than low-intensity weightlifting, walking, biking, or golfing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Additionally, gardening can decrease anxiety and depression, increase sense of community, and improve cognitive function, per Healthy Minds Philly. 

Whether Redditors had all these benefits in mind or not, they were quick to praise the OP's efforts. 

"Nice work!" one cheered. "Great selection of plants." 

"Excellent work!" another applauded.

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