A dedicated gardener has replaced their lawn with rocks and native plants, a move that has profound effects well beyond appearances.
The person posted pictures of the new yard on r/NativePlantGardening, a Reddit community with 55,000 "gardeners."
"2021 vs now" is what the Redditor wrote in the caption of the post.
There are numerous benefits when it comes to turning a traditional lawn into something much more natural.
Let's start with the fact that typical grass lawns require a lot of water. Annually, lawns in the United States devour approximately 3 trillion gallons of water, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
This is problematic at a time when the Earth's climate is warming rapidly and water scarcity is becoming more pervasive.
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Then there's the problem of the harmful planet-warming pollution. According to the NRDC, grass lawns utilize 200 million gallons of gasoline for mowing each year, which creates a lot of not-so-pleasant noise that the neighbors probably won't miss.
Add to that the chemicals people use. The NRDC reports our beloved grass landscapes require 70 million pounds of pesticides annually. These chemicals have even been known to cause cancer in humans.
Meanwhile, by converting your grass lawn into a vegetable garden, a landscape featuring a blend of shrubs or flowers, or any other imaginative alternative, numerous benefits can be achieved.
Such alternatives produce a visually pleasing environment because of their diverse arrangement. Additionally, they demand less maintenance when compared to traditional lawns, thereby reducing the required resources.
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Moreover, cultivating your own crops has a positive impact on your health by reducing exposure to chemical contaminants commonly found in canned and packaged foods.
Another subtle yet significant advantage of having a garden filled with various plants is its contribution to removing harmful pollutants that contribute to the overheating of the planet, sucking in more pollution than a conventional grass lawn.
The picture in the subreddit also shows many rocks surrounding the plants. Rock lawns can save homeowners a lot of money since they consume significantly less water and don't require the purchase of harmful toxic pesticides.
There are even companies, like Yardzen, that can help you transition your yard into a natural wonder.
"Everything looks so full and healthy," one commenter expressed.
Another wrote: "Beautiful work! I love the large rock border. It gives it a natural look with some definition and form."
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