Passerby shares photos after spotting unconventional winter landscaping: 'Absolutely gorgeous'

It’s not easy to maintain a garden in winter, but certain hardy plants can thrive and bring life back to the area.

In the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit, a proud plant-lover shared photos of their neighbor’s creative garden, which was full of several cold-tolerant grasses and flowers. While they weren’t the most colorful plants, their variety added to the curbside garden’s charm.

One Reddit user shared photos of their neighbor's garden, which was filled with native grasses that thrive in winter and become an art piece. Photo Credit: Reddit

“Adding winter interest is one of the most daunting tasks for home gardeners,” the original poster said. “It’s painting with brown. Here is a beautiful example my neighbor created using native grasses (a lot of ‘upright’ cultivars of large more bully grasses), asters, goldenrods, coneflowers, berries and rockscape to make a wonderful garden year round.”

No matter the season, there are always native plants to choose from to spice up your space and also save money on lawn care. Exotic or invasive plants not only require more water and fertilizer to maintain, but they also disrupt ecosystems and may damage infrastructure if they grow aggressively. Low-maintenance plants such as those in the photos are perfect for almost any climate.

You can find the best native plants for your growing zone through the National Audubon Society’s or Garden for Wildlife’s free search tools. Both allow you to filter by the kinds of birds or other wildlife you want to attract to your garden. A healthy ecosystem for pollinators benefits them and humans since pollinators are responsible for about one-third of the food people eat.

Even if you plant natives in only a small part of your garden, it will make a difference for your neighborhood and the animals that visit. And having a well-maintained garden is just nice, boosting mental health and encouraging time spent outdoors.

“This yard has a population of American bumblebees, hummingbirds, so many cool wasps, etc.” the original poster said in a comment. “I’m taking a lot of inspiration and making sure I incorporate a lot of the same specific plants in order to expand the habitat.”

“Absolutely gorgeous!” someone said. “What a good reminder of what dimensionality grasses and sedges bring to a garden. Thank you for posting!”

Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD’s exclusive Rewards Club.