‘How many years of gardening to get it to that level of lovely?’

When you come across a lush, thriving native lawn in a neighborhood full of grass upon grass, you can’t help but snap a few photos. 

A Redditor shared 12 pictures of their sister’s neighbor’s biodiverse, carefully planned garden — which stands in stark contrast to the flowerless lawns in the background — in the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit, and many commenters were green with envy.

The “incredible” yard — as the OP described it in the caption — had at least seven different types of gorgeous plants, including butterfly weed (a type of milkweed), larkspur, yarrow, cornflowers, blanket flowers, and what one commenter thought was purple salvia. 

In the photos, it’s clear the homeowner put a lot of time and effort into creating their personal patch of paradise. 

They put several species close together to provide shade for the soil and reduce weeds, and the plant diversity ensures pollinators will have plenty of food. The bee in several of the photos seems to approve!

Rewilding your yard like this can benefit you and the planet in surprising ways. For one, you can save tons of time and money on lawn maintenance and water bills by planting natives since they have adapted to the local environment over thousands of years and require much less water and fertilizer to survive. 

You’ll also attract friendly pollinators like bees and butterflies to your yard with native plants since biodiverse gardens provide more nectar and pollen. 

Low-maintenance, drought-resistant options include buffalo grass, clover, and xeriscaping — even replacing part of your yard with natives can reduce your water usage and pollution footprint.  

While some commenters noted that not all of the plants in the photos were native, experts say that certain non-native species can also benefit an ecosystem as long as they’re not invasive.

“I have envy. I lack the full sun and too many deer to ever get this. Been trying for years. So frustrating but this is amazing,” one commenter said.

“This is amazing! Tell your Sis thanks from the pollinators, and all of us native gardeners!” another complimented. 

“How many years of gardening to get it to that level of lovely? [I] am assuming it was a lawn before,” another inquired. 

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.