Gardener shares incredible before-and-after photos after reviving desolate dirt yard to luscious landscape: ‘I had no idea what I was doing the first year’
It can be hard to see the vision when looking at a barren patch of dirt, but a gardener in North Carolina was able to create a beautiful lush garden from nothing.
One Redditor took to r/NativePlantGardening to show off their yard transformation over three years of effort.
The post contains a photo carousel as well as some details about their garden journey. The photos start with a bare patch of dirt, followed by the initial garden build in year one. These two photos are followed by almost a dozen photos showing how much the garden has grown and filled out.
The poster said: “I had no idea what I was doing the first year…but I have since learned a lot more and have fallen absolutely in love with gardening for wildlife…It has been so exciting to watch it really fill in this spring, I cannot WAIT for the coming weeks and months.”
Creating a beautiful garden while keeping your local ecosystem in mind is not only possible but is becoming increasingly popular.
The 2023 National Gardening Survey conducted by the National Wildlife Federation and the National Gardening Association says: “28 percent of U.S. adults are purchasing plants that are beneficial for native bees, butterflies, and birds.”
Utilizing native plants in your yard benefits native fauna and your wallet. While there is some upfront cost to purchase new seeds and plants, these types of gardens often need much less day-to-day care.
According to our guide: “Even if you spend $1,000 on native plants and landscaping materials like mulch, you’ll reap profits over time thanks to annual savings of $275 on water, $50 on fertilizer, and $50 on pesticides and weed control.”
Replacing even part of your lawn with low-maintenance plants such as clover or buffalo grass will allow you to reap the benefits and help out pollinators who depend on them for food and shelter.
Commenters were impressed with this green transformation.
One person said: “Wow your post came at a good time. I was feeling discouraged looking at my tiny seedlings and the huge space I need to fill. Your garden looks great!”
“It looks beautiful, congratulations!” wrote another commenter.
While gardening can sometimes be hard work, posts like this inspire us to keep planting.
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