The inclusion of native and pollinator-friendly plants in the lawn creates an effortlessly beautiful outdoor space, ruled by bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, that is sure to make any neighbor stare in envious awe.
Unfortunately, many homeowners place focus on nourishing manicured lawns, which have not always been as prevalent as they currently are. As eco-friendly home solutions gain popularity, however, there is hope for a change in this trend.
One Reddit user shared an image of a hummingbird collecting nectar from an okra flower.
Photo Credit: Reddit
“Managed to capture this today,” the original poster captioned a picture of a mid-flight hummingbird eyeing a flowering okra.
It is important to note that okra is native to West Africa, but it is not invasive elsewhere. It is considered a cultivated crop in the New England region of the United States, according to Go Botany.
Food crops, like wildflowers, attract pollinators and help maintain a balanced ecosystem.
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What is referred to as the American lawn, on the other hand, poses a threat to the ecosystem. These clean-cut, green spaces are a symbol of pride in the United States, but they lack the tools necessary to nourish a healthy environment.
According to a New York Times video essay, the typical American lawn was once packed with native wildflowers, but elitism shifted homeowners away from natural lawns with the rise of suburbs after the Civil War.
As time went by, manicured lawns became more accessible and, eventually, the norm. Accessibility, in this case, does not mean affordability.
According to a blog post by Jake Eshelman, Americans spend $76 billion on lawn care annually, and lawns in the country consume 3 trillion gallons of water per year. Natural lawns, on the other hand, require little maintenance and money.
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These investments are wasted on what many Americans see as a pristine lawn, but is actually a large green space laid with turf grass that depletes the soil.
Eshelman uses visual artist Cindee Klement’s lawn as an example of one that uses wildflowers with their deep roots to prevent soil erosion. Since switching to a natural lawn, Klement’s garden has attracted a new variety of insects, birds, amphibians, and mammals.
Wild lawns are decked in bright colors and lovely blooms like Klement’s and the Reddit poster’s. Comments on the original post congratulated the poster on the beauty of the pollinator-friendly yard.
“Beautiful shot!” one person exclaimed.
Another said, “So cool!”
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