Homeowner shares 'stunning' before-and-after photos of unconventional yard transformation: 'Gorgeous design'

With many areas facing drought conditions, one San Francisco Bay Area homeowner ditched a thirsty lawn in favor of drought-resistant native plants — then shared their yard's dramatic transformation from green grass to colorful spread with the r/NoLawns subreddit. 

The process wasn't quick. The homeowner removed their lawn almost 10 years ago and started filling the yard with native plants five years ago. Now, the yard is nothing short of "stunning," as one commenter described it. 

Yards full of native plants come with a lot of benefits. 

For one, they can save time, money, and natural resources. Typical grass lawns can be costly to care for, needing an average of an inch to an inch and a half of water every week, along with mowing maintenance and sometimes additional nutrients. Plants native to the area in which they are being grown are already well-adapted to their surroundings, so they tend to require less water and upkeep.

Native lawns can also create a healthier habitat for pollinators. Optimizing a yard for these essential creatures can help local ecosystems thrive, ensuring that plants are growing and spreading properly. Their benefits can trickle up the chain to humans, as pollinators have a profound impact on our food supply.

Cultivating native, drought-resistant plants in vulnerable areas may support the adaptation of challenging green growth and threatened food systems in a world where temperatures continue to rise and extreme heat events are more likely. 

Of course, not every region is prone to droughts. In other environments, buffalo grass and clover may be good alternatives to achieve a green look without the water and time required to maintain a typical lawn. 

If you're not sure about getting rid of your whole lawn, you can start small and turn just a portion of your yard into a native wildflower patch. This will cut down on some grass care and give local pollinators a little boost.

People on Reddit seemed to love the poster's native plant upgrade, giving it nearly 3,000 upvotes in less than a month as well as comments full of praise. 

The decade of transformation revealed by the poster's photos can also remind those of us who want to take the steps to fill our spaces with native plants that it can take some time. But as one commenter noted, "It's amazing when those plants finally mature. Gorgeous design!"

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.

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