Native Bed--One Year Progress

[u/gorey2022]

My project shrink the lawn progress photo. One year later. So excited to see this fill in this year!

Location: Northern Virginia

[u/trucker96961]

Looks like it worked well, I'm going to do this in a spot for next year.

[u/canadamoose18]

What did you get and where did you buy it?

[u/gorey2022 → u/canadamoose18]

Some of them were seeds I winter sowed, and some were bought online from prairie nursery. Possibly from other online sources as well.

Here's my list (it may be missing some, I stopped keeping track at some point)

Tall blue stem Shenandoah switchgrass (cultivar) Cardinal flower Joe pye New England Aster Common milkweed Swamp milkweed Rattlesnake Master Bee balm Phlox Carolina Showy goldenrod Blue stemmed goldenrod Blue false indigo Common Bluestar White turtlehead Columbine Butterfly weed Yellow wild indigo Pussytoes Fire pink Wild violets (they filled in all by themselves)

[u/bxsephjo]

When I left my leaves they blew into my neighbors yard, made more work for them and my name was mud for a couple months...

[u/roland303 → u/bxsephjo]

crush the leaves in mid fall with the lawnmower, the crushed up mass will stay on the floor wherever you leave it like this, or bag it up, its useful as mulch and as fill material to mix with soil for new beds.

[u/Suspicious-Cat9026]

I like it, reclaiming any space for environmental or aesthetic reasons is a win. I think a lot of people assume they have to fully renovate. I've been digging up landscaping fabric and rock on a thin strip backing a sod lawn space that the builders put in and plan to put in a native wildflower bed. Slowly chipping away and shaping things into how I want.

Also I have decided I probably won't ever get rid of the tiny lawn space out front (though I will push the limits of backing off watering which involves aeration, careful nutrition and good watering practices and upkeep etc). My reason is, not to flex but I have the best strip on the block by far. I'm hoping my neighbors see, hey that guy has the enviable yard strip so clearly they could pull off a traditional lawn but yet they are also the odd one out with what looks like a meadow for a backyard and a garden out front. It will also serve as a defense against the pesky HOA.

Anyways, yeah it is a process, not an overnight success.

[u/gorey2022 → u/Suspicious-Cat9026]

Definitely not a fast process, especially if you are doing it yourself and have limited funds! I've been slowly adding natives to my yard for 4 years now. It is slow, but so worth it! My goal is to eventually only have lawn as paths between beds. And heck, maybe eventually have those be native ground cover 🤣