Homeowner shares stunning before-and-after photos after ripping out entire lawn: 'A garden I finally love'

A homeowner on Reddit shared the labors of her 14-year journey replacing her trim lawn with a thriving garden.

The user, who also posted her growing journey on her blog, shared before-and-after photos to r/NoLawns. The community is a space dedicated to alternatives to monoculture lawns, which require a lot of water and maintenance. 

"14 years after removing lawn — a garden I finally love!" the Maryland-based gardener posted. 

The poster added that it was "not so easy to get rid of lawn and replace it with something better." It took trial, error, and experimentation with landscape design to get a look she was happy with. Still, she said she prefers gardening to lawncare. 

Many homeowners have begun switching to natural lawns, which can save an estimated $325 annually on maintenance costs. This includes savings on water bills, which helps ease the strain of rising water costs in the U.S. Water and sewer bills in the country have risen 24% in the past five years, according to Bluefield Research.

Plus, natural lawns don't cost you precious hours of mowing. Natural lawns also attract pollinators, which is good for your plants and the environment. If you grow your own food, these creatures can also help your produce thrive. 

Upgrading your yard with eco-friendly tools and methods saves you some money on water usage and gardening costs. Depending on your area, you can figure out native plants that thrive in your home's environment.

Many Reddit users were in awe of the poster's yard. Some thanked her for adding more natural beauty to her community.

"Absolutely gorgeous and great write up, thank you for sharing. Gardening is such an ongoing experiment that requires patience and lots of trial and error (as you've proved)!" one person said.

Others pointed out different benefits to her unconventional lawn.

"14 years of not having to mow the lawn over and over again," a user commented.

What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time ⏳ Not enough space 🤏 It seems too hard 😬 I have a garden already 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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