A homeowner may be ready to cash in on the substantial perks that come with rewilding a yard.
Turning to the subreddit r/NativePlantGardening for advice, a Redditor shared that they had saved $2,000 to reinvent their half-acre garden in Virginia and wanted to know where to spend the funds.
"Years ago I killed off a good amount of lawn grass to create beds. I planted a lot of nonnatives which have died or underperformed," they wrote.
"A big thing for me is to keep species that I know are growing in my area, soil type, and sun exposure," they added, also noting there was a considerable amount of shade on their property.
Other Redditors were keen to offer their advice, with one pointing the OP toward a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve the area's natural ecosystem.
"Check the Virginia Native Plant Society website for a list of nurseries," they wrote.
While some, like the OP, invest a chunk of change in the beginning stages of rewilding, other options, such as clover, don't require a large amount of cash. And the new landscaping can pay dividends in a variety of ways.
Because native plants are suited to the area they are growing in, they need less attention to thrive, saving homeowners time and money on lawn maintenance and water bills, as well as supporting pollinators — like bees and butterflies — that are vital to a balanced ecosystem and our food supply.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than one-third of all food crops "depend on animal pollinators."
The OP noted that they had already planted Virginia bluebells and had a running list of other native plants in consideration, including sweet goldenrod, a drought-resistant food source for the endangered monarch butterfly, per the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
It's unclear if the OP used online resources to compile their list of native plants, but the National Wildlife Federation has a handy tool for discovering what is best for your zip code.
Regardless of the OP's method, their level of preparation wowed other Redditors, who encouraged them that they were on the right track and offered more money-saving tips.
"That's great! Sounds like you're really off to a good start," one person wrote.
"Have you reached out to your local soil and water conservation district? You can get around 2,000 dollars of cost share for planting natives if it meets some erosion mitigation criteria," another person suggested.
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