One Michigan homeowner said they spent years turning a "boring" grass lawn into something extraordinary and fruitful.
Many homeowners in the r/NoLawns subreddit are looking for an easier lawn: something like clover that doesn't need as much water or mowing as turf grass but still maintains that green ground cover appearance. However, some homeowners, like this avid gardener, have something dramatically different in mind.
"When we bought our house in 2009, we had the typical neighborhood front yard of green grass with underground sprinkler seasonal weed and feed. It was very boring," said the Redditor. Their "before" picture backed up that assessment, showing a sloped lawn broken only by a driveway and a handful of bushes around the house.
They set out to change that right away. "Over the years I've slowly made my gardens bigger and bigger," they said. As their "after" photos illustrate, those gardens eventually claimed the entire yard. "Now my front yard is just a big field of wildflowers, perennials, native plants, apple trees, black raspberries, strawberries, and elderberries, and I'd never go back."
The incredible garden in their photos covers the hillside, with plants so thick and tall they all but swallow up the fence and the paths through the garden. The flowers are in full bloom and the promise of fruit and berries more than justifies the change — and that's without considering how the garden enriches the soil and supports local pollinators.
"Plus no more mowing!" said the original poster. "If you're considering doing this, I'd highly recommend it."
Commenters loved the finished design. "Glorious!" one simply wrote.
"This before and after makes me emotional," said one user. "Chills, tears, quivers down my spine. Thank you for sharing and may this inspire the world to do better."
"Amazing transformation," said another commenter. "Went from an incredibly boring house to a beautifully quaint home that can feed you, your family, and the native pollinators."
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