A hardworking Redditor just shared photos documenting the complete renewal of their yard through the past four years.
Under the post title, "A glorious transformation," they attached an entire album of photos, starting with how the house looked when they arrived.
"Bought our house four years ago and we were excited to have some space to garden in," they said. "The plot as we bought it was very barren and the soil very hard and rocky."
The "before" photos show a dying yellow lawn sloping down to a neglected parking area. An unattractive gravel pathway curved through the yard past two trees, one of which was a large pear tree that the Redditor said they had to get rid of. "Most of the tree was diseased so we had it removed," they said.
After that, the Redditor got to work. "Over the course of four years, I worked the soil by digging it up, sifting all the large (over pebble size) rocks out, and adding compost," they said. "Some sections were done to two feet depth."
Once the soil was ready, they planted an incredible variety of flowers. "Most of the flowers we have now, my wife started from seed," said the Redditor. The list included hollyhocks, poppies, snapdragons, and lupines. The most recent photos show a yard full from one fence to the other with tall, thriving plants covered in flowers.
The Redditor kept the local pollinators in mind, adding a whole section of native plants. "Nodding onion, a native that the bees love," the user noted under one photo of a cluster of purple flowers with a bowed stem.
They also planted bee balm for the hummingbirds. "Lots of hummingbirds frequent our yard now," they said, adding a photo of a juvenile male feeding at a flower.
Besides being a fun way to attract wildlife to the yard, feeding local pollinators is also great for the plants. The birds and bugs spread pollen from flower to flower, ensuring the plants will keep producing flowers, fruit, and seeds.
Commenters loved the stunning pictures and the success story. "Lovely photos for first thing in the morning," said one user. "Very inspiring."
To get similar results without four years of digging, homeowners can contact Yardzen, a landscaping company with experience in rewilding and native plants.
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