Gardener captures stunning image of unexpected visitor to their garden: 'So exciting'

Not everybody likes surprises, but the one this Redditor recently had is certainly one that many will envy.

"Had a sweet little visitor yesterday morning," they wrote in a post.

According to many of the commenters, it was an Eastern box turtle, one of the four subspecies of box turtles that are recognizable by their dark shell with yellow markings.

"Oh!! I'm so jealous of everyone with reptiles and amphibians coming to their gardens. I'm in Brooklyn, NY and they would have to cross too many busy roads to get to me," one Reddit user said.

It's true that not everyone has the chance to have a garden far from human infrastructure — or even just a garden. But for those of you who do, know that you won't welcome similar visitors if your garden is a plain grass lawn. Bring life to attract it: Replace your lawn, whose maintenance costs you nothing but time, energy, money, and resources, with a multitude of native plants, or choose a natural lawn made of clover or daisies.

Plus, a patch of your garden could lead to the sound of bumblebees and beetles busy jumping from a stamen to a pistil. These insect pollinators are essential to plant reproduction, and that includes the crops that feed us.

This time, it's no surprise that Redditors are sharing the original poster's enthusiasm.

"That's so exciting!" one of them commented.

"Get planting mayapples for them," another said. And for good reason.

According to In Defense of Plants, box turtles are the main disperser of their seeds that, once passed through the gut of the animal, are more likely to germinate. Why deprive themselves? The large fruit that mayapples produce, which some say has a hint of pineapple and even banana, is just at the right height.

How much time do you spend taking care of the plants inside or outside your home? Several hours a week 🧑‍🌾 One hour a week ⌛ Less than one hour ⏳ I don't have any plants 😢 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"They also love strawberries and earthworms!" a third Reddit user observed.

Another finally warned that the repatriation of Eastern box turtles, when saved from illegal trafficking, was not always easy, given their relatively small home ranges.

"If they are removed from that home range and relocated," they said, "they may spend the rest of their lives trying to get back there."

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