One Texas homeowner took their yard from gross to green by simply switching to native plants.

The Redditor shared before-and-after photos on the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit. 

"I've done a lot of work on my house, but I'm most proud of transforming my front yard with native plants," they wrote. "This has been the best journey and one I hope to do for the rest of my life."

Their "before" photo showed a completely dead lawn and nearly empty flower beds, with just a couple of bushes showing signs of life. The "after" photo had multiple bushes, new beds full of thriving plants and cactuses, raised planters, vines on trellises, a young tree, and even a lush, green new lawn.

Their secret was working with their environment.

"When I first started I knew nothing about native plants, but read books and took a few classes," they wrote. "I have a rain garden for my gutter run off, lots of pollinator plants, and even my grass is native. I just got my yard certified as a Wildlife Habitat!"

Native plants are the best choice for a project like this because they are well-suited to the environment they evolved in. For example, Texas is very dry, so not just any plant will thrive there without lots of extra watering. However, a native species will thrive without running up your water bill — and many of them look lush and green while doing it.

For instance, take the species of grass the Redditor chose for their lawn. 

"It's a native turf blend of buffalo grass, curly mesquite, and blue gramma called 'thunder turf,'" they commented. "It does take [foot] traffic but needs full sun. It's more 'grassy bunches' vs turf look, but I love it and find it soft to walk on. I never water it except the peak of summer."

Meanwhile, the rain garden they mentioned allows them to plant species that need a little more water while protecting the rest of their yard from flooding.

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.

Commenters loved the outcome. 

"Incredible job wow!!!" one user wrote.

"Thank you! My labor of love," the original poster replied.

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