A proud homeowner took to Reddit to share photos of their blah-to-beautiful yard transformation done on a budget and received all the kudos they deserved.
"Before and After. I couldn't be happier," the OP wrote above the series of three photos shared to the r/gardening subreddit showing the transformation from a boring strip of grass to a lush bed of vibrant flowers and grasses.
"You did such a great job! So inspiring! Thank you for sharing," wrote one admiring Redditor. The OP replied, "Thank you so much! I'm so happy this inspired you :)) check out dollar tree for seeds. That's how I filled my space."
"Great to see the grass gone and the wildflowers thriving," commented another user.
"If I could do away with the entire lawn, I totally would lol but my landlord told me not to go crazy," the OP replied.
Landlords and homeowners associations have too often been known to prevent renters and homeowners alike from making money-saving, eco-friendly upgrades like these to their homes. Luckily, this was not the case for the OP, as their home's new look brings benefits, too.
Rewilding your yard and swapping monoculture grass lawns for wildflowers and other plants not only looks beautiful but also saves you money and benefits the planet. This is especially true if you opt for native plants, which will save you money and time on lawn maintenance and lower your water bills as they require much less than grass lawns. Native plants are also great for pollinators, which our food supply relies on.
Other great alternatives to grass are natural lawns like clover and buffalo grass and xeriscaping, and even a partial lawn replacement like the OP did will allow you to reap these benefits.
It doesn't have to cost you a ton upfront, either, as the OP proved, saying in another comment that they foraged some of the plants, and the seeds used otherwise cost less than $20 in total.
"So well done!!! Beautiful," wrote an admiring commenter.
"Absolutely stunning!! Mine could use your assistance if you're up for another round," joked another.
"The last photo made me so happy for you, great job," said a third.
"Thank you! The constant buzz of pollinators makes me happy," the OP replied.
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