‘This is the before and after’

Some neighbors can act as a barrier to climate-friendly solutions. One Redditor was horrified to learn that the person living next door decided to do some landscaping in their garden.

The user posted in the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit about their shocking discovery upon returning home from work. 

“My neighbor (I live in a duplex) cut down all of my flowers because she thought they were weeds,” the user said. “I know that they’ll grow back because they’re perennials, but I’ll miss their blooms this year. This is the before and after.”

Photo Credit: Reddit

A 2024 report by the National Wildlife Federation and National Gardening Association found that 17% of U.S. adults buy native plants, while 12% are rewilding part of their lawns. 

Native plants, like the one the Redditor had, occur naturally in a specific region and attract a variety of local species. They also require less irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides, helping to reduce maintenance costs, conserve water, and prevent ecological damage. 

Wild Ones offers a guide to native landscaping that includes 19 layouts across U.S. cities tailored to your region’s climate and designer tips on how to care for your garden.

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Rewilding also allows you to skip mowing, allowing your garden to do what it is supposed to do naturally. Just be sure to follow local landscape ordinances. 

For those with difficult neighbors who hinder climate-adaptive living, educating them on the importance of native plants is key. Respectful discourse clears up misunderstandings without the need for legal escalation.

Read up on your city’s codes and homeowners association rules about climate-friendly landscaping, which might also include laws protecting native gardens. Of course, you can always add signage in your garden, too. 

Redditors were stunned by what the original poster’s neighbor did. “Did your neighbor really think those were weeds?” asked one commenter in disbelief.   

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Another Reddit user took a more rigid stance, stating, “They need to pay you money for new plants. Touching someone else’s yard is unacceptable, and I would be toying with the idea of reporting her for vandalism.”

The OP did provide an update, saying it was the last day of their lease, and that while the neighbor offered to pay for the damage, the OP said she didn’t have to. “I’m just really sad, but I know she wasn’t being spiteful.”

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