My parents yard went from dirt patch to pollinator heaven in 2 years

I visited my folks in Denver last weekend and barely recognized their backyard. It used to be just brown grass and weeds that they mowed every two weeks. But they ripped everything out in spring 2022 and planted native wildflowers and shrubs from a local nursery. Now it's full of bees and butterflies every time I stop by, and their water bill dropped by like $40 a month. Has anyone else seen a big shift after switching to native plants in a dry area?

2 comments

2 Comments

patriciamoore1mo ago

That $40 drop in water bill is the part nobody talks about. People think native plants are just for looks but they're basically free money once established.

jana_henderson521mo ago

Girl YES. The first summer after I put in my native bed my bill dropped almost 50 bucks and I thought something was broken on the meter. People really sleep on how much less water you need once those roots get deep. Plus the best part is you barely have to do anything after the first year or two, no constant replanting or babying them. Just let them do their thing and watch the savings pile up.