Homeowner shares stunning before-and-after photos after transforming strip of grass along curb: 'Inspiringly beautiful'

A Reddit user posted to the subreddit r/NativePlantGardening, highlighting their success switching from turf grass to native plants.

“Killed the turf grass in 2024 with black plastic,” the user explains. “My daughter’s partner … who owns a native plant nursery grew almost all of the plants from seed.”

"We've had such a fun time and a lot of success." Photo Credit: Reddit

The effectiveness of the native plant garden is exemplified by photos of the gorgeous front lawn, which has native flowers and other plants blooming like wild.

“We’ve had such a fun time and a lot of success. The amount of pollinators that visit our yard now is probably a hundred fold!!” the user concluded.

Turf grass is a fairly common yard installation, despite its many downsides.

An article by the University of Delaware explains that despite being super green and often looking uniform in neighborhoods, the aesthetic perks don’t overshadow the environmental downsides. “During peak growing months, a single lawn may require mowing more than once a week. During periods of drought, irrigation may be required to keep a lawn from going dormant,” the article states.

On top of extensive water and mowing being expensive, they aren’t good for the planet. Lawn mowers usually run on dirty fuels, which pollute the air, while dumping gallons of water into grass can be wasteful.

Installing a natural lawn or native plant garden is a move many people are turning to. Natural lawns differ depending on your area, but some common options include clover, buffalo grass, and even daisies. This approach to your lawn will be a beneficial place for local pollinators, who will do a lot of the heavy lifting to keep your lawn healthy.

Plus, as native plants are equipped to survive in your local environment, they won’t require enormous amounts of water. Xeriscaping, which includes adding stone, gravel, or native plants to reduce water usage, is another great step for those looking to save the planet and their wallets with a beautiful lawn.

Commenters shared their amazement with the OP’s native lawn success.

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“Inspiringly beautiful! Love to see the pollinators doing their thing,” one user said.

Another added: “Good for you. It looks great.”

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