There's an old saying that you should never look back, but sometimes, it's proof of how far you've come.
Such is the case for a homeowner who went to the r/NoLawns subreddit to showcase three years of progress on their project.
In a beautiful transformation, the homeowner took a lackluster traditional lawn and turned it into a lush garden full of perennials, shrubs, a rain garden, and a patio.
What's left of the yard is now a mix of grass, clover, yarrow, and "whatever else pops up." The original poster says the clover seems to distract the rabbits from the perennials and that they tried to plant 90% or more native plants.
"It's been a really rewarding and enjoyable project so far," they wrote.
Traditional lawns are notorious for the amounts of water and chemicals they require. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that residential outdoor water use accounts for almost 8 billion gallons of water daily — not to mention the price tag and the maintenance that goes along with it.
Pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers are full of toxic chemicals that get washed away into our water systems, polluting oceans and contributing to Earth's rising temperatures.
Rewilding even a part of your yard helps support pollinators, which are essential to the global food supply. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat.
Switching to a natural lawn using native plants, clover, or buffalo grass is guaranteed to make your life easier, save you money, and help the environment. There are plenty more options to choose from, too.
It seems like a no-brainer — but many homeowners, like most people, are afraid of change. Many are concerned about what their homeowners association will think. Others just aren't sure how to get started with the transition.
The good news is that there are communities like r/NoLawns, r/NativePlantGardening, and r/GardenWild for inspiration and support on how to create the lawn of your dreams.
The National Wildlife Federation's native plant finder can also help you discover plants in your area and get started today.
The post was met with lots of how-to questions, which the OP was more than happy to answer, revealing they hired landscapers to get the project going as it was such a big undertaking.
"Nice job," one Redditor praised.
"It's lovely to see how well yours is growing," said another.
"Still a work in progress — which I'm sure will always be the case," the OP said.
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