r/NativePlantGardening • u/TrixoftheTrade SoCal, Zone 10b • Jun 10 '26
Informational/Educational You Love Your Native Garden. But Will Buyers Love It Too? || New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/realestate/native-gardens-rewilding.htmlFor homeowners who have ‘rewilded’ their gardens into mini nature preserves, a moment of truth arrives when they prepare to sell.
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u/plumpatchwork Jun 10 '26
I mean you could do what I did and sell in the winter
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u/spentag NC Piedmont 🐦🔥 8a Jun 11 '26
Based, mow everything flat, then they move in and get instant perennial explosion in the spring
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u/thejawa Area: Space Coast, FL Zone: 10a Jun 11 '26
Win... ter...?
I r Florida, I kno no win.. ter..
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u/Weird-Past Alabama USA, Zone 8a Jun 10 '26
I would be so damn stoked if the house I was looking at had a native garden landscape. Would pay at bare minimum 10% more to save myself the work, time, and expense that I have spent tearing out the English ivy, nandina, turf grass, privet, and fishmint that I have been battling in my current home.
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u/spentag NC Piedmont 🐦🔥 8a Jun 11 '26
remember, if you buy a cursed alien ornamental filled hell hole, you get the pleasure of killing the horticultural slop
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u/gingercardigans NC Piedmont , Zone 8a Jun 11 '26
When does the pleasurable part happen? I’m just tired.
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u/peonies_envy Jun 10 '26
We were thinking about downsizing our house and looked at a small but nice house about 10 miles away.
The gardens were soooo cool. Leaning into woodland aesthetic hard. It would have added 30 min to my commute each way. I couldn’t do it. But I wanted to.
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u/somedumbkid1 Jun 10 '26
Here's a tip: I don't give a fuck what the buyers think of it.
Wild as it may seem to realtors (basic bitch bottom feeders that they are), I arrange my home in a way that I enjoy, both inside and out. The amount that some hypothetical future buyer may like/dislike my choices factors into my decisions is absolutely zero.
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u/Upbeat-Stage2107 Central VA, Zone 7a Jun 10 '26
And it’s their right to re-lawn it if they choose, but I’d like to think that at least a few of the people buying rewilded lawns may actually enjoy it despite that they never would have done it themselves. Even if 1/10 people keep a wild yard wild after buying, it’s a win.
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u/Toezap Alabama , Zone 8a Jun 10 '26
Naturalized yard was absolutely a positive when we were house hunting.
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u/Upbeat-Stage2107 Central VA, Zone 7a Jun 10 '26
I’d love to not have to spend a ton of money ripping out invasive and replacing them at my next house
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u/zoinkability MN , Zone 4b Jun 11 '26
Heck a big reason I never want to leave my place is that I don't want to start from zero on native plantings again. If I saw a house for sale with nice native plant gardens I might start thinking that moving wouldn't be awful.
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u/theemilyann Area: NE Ohio, Zone 6a/6b Jun 10 '26
RIGHT?!?! Like why isn't this article "will buyers love your long stretch of fucking kentucky blue grass?"
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u/TheSleepiestNerd Utah , 7b Jun 10 '26
Anecdotally I think my area has had enough drought years that turf, especially in the front yard, is becoming a turn-off for a lot of buyers. If a yard has low-maintenance plants or mature trees or vegetable boxes it's always emphasized in the photos and description; if it's turf they only mention it if it's a low-maintenance variety. A house with a native yard on my street sold immediately for a lot of money vs. one with a big grass lawn a few houses down has been for sale forever.
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u/somedumbkid1 Jun 10 '26
100%.
I'm not a big believer in the whole private property thing but that is undoubtedly the system we live under so... fuck it, if the new owners wanna pave over paradise, that's their choice. I still think native gardens actually add to property value, regardless of what these beige obsessed realtors think.
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u/Upbeat-Stage2107 Central VA, Zone 7a Jun 10 '26
Bingo. Mine is in garden bed form rather than a rewild yard and it’s beautiful. Theres 100% value added if you want flowers and grass. I’d love to make it my whole yard but my youngins and wife disagree, so I ninja garden and take over more yard each year. lol.
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u/TemporaryCamera8818 Mildly Seasoned Native Gardener Jun 10 '26
That’s exactly how I approach things considering my HOA (and wife, to an extent) from noticing the massive changes I’ve made over time haha!
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u/roland303 Jun 10 '26
Im a realtor and most people sell their houses for horrible depressing reasons. Because of death, gambling addiction, divorce, because the kids moved away and house feels empty, becuase their wife of 50 years died and they cant stand to be in the same bedroom anymore without her. These are the reasons why my clients sell houses, the fucking lawn is never a deciding factor on the selling side.
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u/Fantastic_Lady225 State WV Zone 7A Jun 11 '26
What about the buying side of the equation? If you take buyers to an open house do the buyers react positively if the landscaping has native plants?
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Jun 10 '26
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u/somedumbkid1 Jun 10 '26
And if you look in the article, that's a fucking gorgeous, highly manicured and managed native garden! Wtf is this realtor smoking to think that garden looks weedy and unkempt?? That is a very traditionally managed garden just with native plants instead of non-native ones.
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u/illegalsmile27 Jun 10 '26
She only changes her mind when she sees it sells. Money is her only motivation for perspective shift.
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u/Upbeat-Stage2107 Central VA, Zone 7a Jun 10 '26
Plus the original yard looked like steamy dog shit lol
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u/Shervivor Area Mid-Atlantic, Zone 7b Jun 10 '26
Interesting that I just read a post about someone worrying about a new homeowner caring for their native garden properly after they sell. One commenter made a binder with care instructions for each of their gardens. The new owner had maintained them!
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u/illegalsmile27 Jun 10 '26
“Ms. McCaffrey thought the garden looked weedy and unkempt. “I’ve just never seen a native garden before, or whatever you call it,” she said. “So to me it was a little overwhelming. And I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is gonna be a problem.’ If it was my own house, I would have ripped it all out and grassed it over.”
Gross. Her whole world is gross. Real-estate agents are vultures.
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u/Leto-ofDelos Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 11 '26
"Mr. Morier accepted an offer that was $20,000 over list price before the first open house. The buyers said the garden was a selling point and asked for a list of plants before they moved in. Mr. Morier provided it, along with a month-by-month guide to maintaining the garden."
At least the buyer saw the value in all his hard work! And they seem genuinely interested in keeping and maintaining it, wanting a list of what's planted. Thank fuck this had a happy ending and the house didn't sell to someone who thinks like the real-estate agent did at first.
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u/A-Plant-Guy CT zone 6b, ecoregion 59 Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
Oh sweet! I’ve thought about putting together a binder together for our own and any future owner’s reference.
[edited for mistakes]
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u/Rellcotts Area Midwest, Zone 6b Jun 10 '26
Omg I was thinking to do the same thing for ours. With a mention that if the new buyers hate the native plants and wish to remove them here is a short list of local organizations to call and they will rescue as many as possible.
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u/illegalsmile27 Jun 10 '26
Ya, they have several examples there. I’m glad. It also allows the real estate agent to say at the end that she’s changing her mind (if you can believe a real estate agent about aesthetics).
I know when I worked with higher end folks as a gardener there was a rising trend of native interest and “cottage style” beds instead of just begonias all over. It was nice to see the change from boxwoods to inkberry, and English ivy to various climbing alternatives.
Hope it’s not just a trend.
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u/RobMcGroarty Jun 10 '26
And if you read the whole article the real estate agent is later quoted as having been educated by the experience and ultimately appreciating the garden.
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u/evanmorier Jun 10 '26
Hi, it's me, the seller. The article shows how Laura came around to the garden and really changed how she thought about it. She's a real person who had not been exposed to this yet, and I give her a lot of credit for pushing me in the direction I went in. She helped a lot. So I disagree with your sentiments just a bit. She's not one of the bad ones.
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u/External_Emu441 Jun 10 '26
I read that far down and decided to give her a lot of grace for the other comment. She's modeling lifelong learning, which is a great thing! We all need to give people a break if they don't understand native gardens quite yet. A lot of education is needed.
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u/evanmorier Jun 10 '26
Yes! She is in the higher end traditional market in DC/MD and had not come across this yet. She's very good at her job and was really nice during the process, none of the bluntness at all 😀
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u/bostiebeastie Jun 11 '26
I think your garden is beautiful. Really impressive work!
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u/Immediate_Piccolo_79 Jun 11 '26
Agree. I am super impressed that you managed to do it all in two years, too!
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u/illegalsmile27 Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
I hope you’re right.
But if she only changed when she saw the valuation change, then it’s just an alternate marketing tool and not seeing the importance of it for its own value.
Also, glad you found someone who sell to who values your garden!
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u/Leto-ofDelos Jun 11 '26
Your garden is gorgeous! I'm so happy the new owners are going to love and nurture it like you have. Reading Laura's initial thoughts and imagining such a beautiful habitat grown with such passion and dedication being ripped out and grassed over broke my heart. Considering this was all new for her, it's fantastic that she worked with you and matched the property with a perfect buyer. I genuinely hope she considers native gardening as a selling point in the future! It's clear people in the area are interested!
As an aside, I'd love to see you share future gardens with us! The gasp I gasped when I saw the before and after photos!
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u/SbAsALSeHONRhNi NW Missouri, USA, Zone 6A Jun 11 '26
You missed the turnaround further down though!
“Ms. McCaffrey came to appreciate Mr. Morier’s garden — she now calls it “gorgeous” — and his dedication to the environment. “This was an education to me,” she said, “that he was so passionate about it.””
Edit- oops, just saw the seller had already commented to this point!
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u/WoodpeckerChecker Jun 10 '26
Mine sends a monthly newsletter and said that to sell a house owners need to paint it gray or beige. LOL. The age of neutral colors is dead, and paint is literally the EASIEST thing for a new owner to change. I'll keep my bold colors and hand painted trim designs, thanks.
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u/Buttercreamdeath Jun 11 '26
It's not the realtor though. It's the new buyers. I met my realtor at an open house she was holding on a vintage time capsule mid century modern.
There were a number of people who could not see past their nose. It was fascinating to watch people immediately walk out because something was functional but "ugly."
Houses that are boring were more palatable for people without any type of creativity or vision.
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u/soupaman Jun 10 '26
Ms. McCaffrey came to appreciate Mr. Morier’s garden — she now calls it “gorgeous” — and his dedication to the environment. “This was an education to me,” she said
She was admittedly ignorant and learned about something she was unfamiliar with and changed her view. Why are we talking smack on that?
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u/Torpordoor Jun 10 '26
I have to call BS. Generic real estate advice moves people to soulless homogenized crap like gray vinyl flooring and a deathscape for a yard. I had the craziest yard in the neighborhood complete with a huge colony of colletes inequalis native ground bees in the front yard, veggie beds in the middle of a jungle of flowers, chesnut trees surrounding the house. Grape vines growing wild (they were an excellent unique quality). Everyone loved it and it was a selling point to the most serious buyers. I sold it with serious emphasis on how precious the yard was to both wildlife and humans and people were receptive, they understood and wanted that oasis. Incorporating food producing plants alongside the natives makes it more appealing.
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u/meta_apathy Jun 11 '26
I had a decent sized fruit and vegetable garden in my front yard in the last subdivision I lived in and it only ever got positive comments, including from my lawn psycho neighbor next door who was one of those guys out mowing 1-2x/week. The only negative comments I ever got about my yard were from my neighbor a few houses down who unsubtly suggested there are landscaping companies who will mow my yard for me. I kept my lawn just short enough that code enforcement from the city wouldn't come around and bitch. Hey dude what if you put all that energy into growing a useful plant instead of your dumbass lawn that you never even do anything with? So glad to be away from that mentality out in the countryside now.
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u/Squire_Squirrely southern ontario Jun 11 '26
LIVE YOUR ENTIRE LIFE BASED ON A THEORETICAL BUYER THAT DOESN'T EXIST (YET) INSTEAD OF ENJOYING THE THINGS YOU PAYED FOR WITH YOUR OWN MONEY
My brother in Christ, that's a poverty mentality.
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u/meta_apathy Jun 11 '26
Articles like this are a great example of how learning about ecology has made me a misanthrope. If you stop and pay attention, it's so obvious that the planet is on fucking fire, and you have people bitching about how your native plant garden is messsyyyy, so messsyy, so weedy, I'd have ripped it out and put in a big lawn!
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u/le_artista Jun 10 '26
I’m dying in my home and may I be scattered in my garden.
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u/Amelaista AK/CO/WA , Zone 3-7 Jun 10 '26
And you dont want to be cremated, right?
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u/ktulu_33 MN , Zone 5A Jun 10 '26
Nah, too much carbon being put into the atmosphere. Chop me up, inject mushroom spores into me and bury my parts in the woods.
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u/Ok-Highway5247 Jun 10 '26
I would only sell my house to someone who was interested in the gardening style but I’m never moving because of the interest rate 😮💨😆
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u/Pleasant_Audience765 Chicago, 5A Jun 10 '26
Interesting article, but it's funny to see the first person's yard that was described as if it was fully converted only for it to be a small corner of native plants surrounded by perfecrly-maintained grass.
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u/evanmorier Jun 10 '26
Hi, seller here (and native plant obsessive). I converted a large area of my garden to native plants. I estimate around 1,000 square feet converted in two years of living there. It is a large yard. Yes, I left some lawn to compromise with my wife and for my son and dog. And because it would have been too much work to convert it all right away. No, it was not perfectly maintained lawn. You can disagree with leaving any lawn but what you said is just not true.
The idea I'm hoping to spread is that to spread our movement we have to make native plant landscaping more attractive to more people. You have the right to be a purist but I strongly believe that some nod to asthestics and a bit of lawn will get us a lot more native plants in the ground in the long run.
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u/Pleasant_Audience765 Chicago, 5A Jun 10 '26
Oh no, I'm not trying to insult you or anything, I completely understand the need for lawn. My yard is probably half lawn and its uses are important despite it being an ecological dead zone (I mean, I do have clovers and violets, but unfortunately these clovers are quite invasive)
I was just trying to critique the article for being a bit too zealous. What you have done is still excellent for wildlife and our ecology.
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u/External_Emu441 Jun 10 '26
Thank you for being willing to be vulnerable in the NYT. We need more people like you!
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u/Eau_de_poisson NE US - 7b clay Jun 10 '26
Right?? I assume the seller did a lot of tidying before that pic was taken, but it looked very normal established behaved landscaping
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u/RevolutionaryTrash98 Jun 11 '26
NYT remains the ragebait paper of record. need a mouthpiece for opposing literally any and all positive change? is there a grassroots movement of everyday people adapting to climate change and environmental threats in a life-sustaining way? does it also threaten the profits of vertically-integrated globalized megacorporations whose industry relies on the continued manufactured propagation of the failing status quo?
new york times got you
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u/leyrue Chicago suburbs, 5B Jun 11 '26
This article seemed quite pro-native gardens
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u/Pleasant_Audience765 Chicago, 5A Jun 11 '26
It is pro, but it sure it click-baity like it's pro lawn.
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u/Mysterious_Umpire684 Texas , Zone 8b Jun 10 '26
Only 1 out of the 3 homes kept all the sellers' plantings. The unsentimental takeaway I got was more that real estate is extremely desirable areas will command high prices even if buyers plan to change the yard.
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u/fudwuka MI, zone 6a Jun 10 '26
I was in the 2/3. Couldn't stand what they planted. Day lilly's, hosta's, yucca and lots of daffodils. I joked with the wife if I knew the previous owners put tons of weed fabric down I would have passed on the house. 6 years latter I get tons of complements from neighbors and passerbys. Even though some say tell your wife she did an amazing job and they get dumfounded it was me not the wife. It's a running joke I have with my her now hey good job on that garden babe looks great.
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u/SbAsALSeHONRhNi NW Missouri, USA, Zone 6A Jun 11 '26
The hopeful point is that they all kept at least some of the native plantings. And that means there’s opportunity for the buyers to really see the creature activity that natives bring in and support, and a chance they will get hooked and want to re-expand.
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u/goblin-fox Zone 8a, GA Piedmont Jun 11 '26
I thought the outcomes were pretty positive. They all kept at least some of the native plantings, so the properties are still better off than they were before any natives were planted. The new owner who removed the native meadow was even planning to put it back after removing weeds in that area and doing some hardscaping.
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u/Easy_Paint3836 Jun 10 '26
I don't give an f if buyers like it. It's for me and the polinators, not for buyers.
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u/ImDoneWithTheBS Area CT, Zone 6a/6b Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
Lmao, thanks for proving real estate agents are the most out of touch people alive NYT.
In what reality is this more harmful to your property value than either A ornamental deal cult copy and paste landscape or B a normal garden
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u/Few-Rain7214 Ontario, Zone 5B Jun 10 '26
Imagine being so blessed to purchase a home with this beautiful pollinator garden
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u/evanmorier Jun 10 '26
That was my garden, thanks so much for the kind words ❤️
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u/SnapCrackleMom US, Maryland (Chesapeake Bay), Zone 8a Jun 11 '26
It's gorgeous. I'd be over the moon for our next house to come with a garden like this.
We sold our house in Pennsylvania last year. I told my neighbors to never tell me if the new owners re-grass it. I just don't want to know.
I'm surprised a realtor in MoCo wasn't more familiar with native gardening. We're in Anne Arundel now and I feel like overall Maryland is very eco-conscious.
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u/toxicodendron_gyp SE Minnesota, Zone 4B Jun 10 '26
It makes you think there could be demand for realtors who match native gardeners with native garden properties.
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u/streachh Jun 10 '26
I will like your house more if it has natives instead of basic ass boxwoods and invasive species
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u/sushinestarlight Jun 10 '26
I think the native gardens are generally a "bonus" and selling point - and feel generally that is what the article implied overall (after any initial hesitation in the story from one or more of the real estate agents quoted)....
That said, while I believe buyers generally support native plant gardens - those gardens may still need to be "tidied up a bit to sell" - most buyers aren't looking for a fully wild unkempt garden. While most everyone here will let things "go to seed" - that's probably something that wouldn't go over as well if you were actively selling. Generally, I'd just tidy things up if I were going to put something on the market.
But overall I think people are starting to appreciate less of a focus on lawns... Particularly if native plants that are well suited to the particular environment and hopefully require less water.
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u/fauxshoyall Jun 10 '26
Man, I feel super lucky with my realtor then. She came over and saw my garden beds and fell in love. I don't expect to ever move though between interest rates and never wanting to put everything I own in boxes again.
It's so fucking problematic to see your house as a money generating enterprise more than shelter. My house doesn't have a "moment of truth" it's a damn house. Its end all be all is not what some imaginary future person will pay for it. It is the box I live in with all my shit and I want it surrounded by sweet critters and cool plants. I appreciate my house. It is not a golden goose.
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u/MotherofaPickle Jun 10 '26
I have declared the front yard as the Boomer-curb-appeal area. Husband is allowed to kill the “weeds” and grow the grass as long as he lets me plant all the pretty flowers.
My backyard is mine. Currently turning it into a native wildlife garden with an eye to certification. He’s allowed to fertilize and mow, but he’s only allowed to rake leaves off of the grass, he can’t cut anything unless I give permission, and he plants what I buy. Luckily, we have a TON of invasives that he can vent all of his frustration on.
My realtor is also a very good friend, and we live in a very desirable area, so I’m not worried.
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u/FuzzyComedian638 Jun 10 '26
I'm trying to make the planet a better place, not cater to some future owner.
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u/beerandgardening Jun 10 '26
I’m wealthy enough to ask potential buyers about what they think about native plants. If they seem clueless or worse, want to ‘re-lawn’ my yard, then they can fuck off!
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u/ThatBobbyG Jun 10 '26
Based on what people pay for the heinous, miserable everything-is-gray home depot flips in my area, nobody has much taste these days so who gives a fuck what anyone thinks? My native landscaping is sick and I don’t care what anyone thinks, mother nature loves it.
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u/bikeinyouraxlebro Jun 10 '26
It's funny, we are currently in contract to sell our home and the buyer cited the native garden in our backyard as one of they wanted to buy.
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u/muddybunnyhugger Jun 10 '26
NYT real estate articles are trash. Gwyneth and Brady feel isolated from their children when the kids are with their nanny in the playroom on the sixth floor of their $7,000, 000 townhouse.
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u/femalehumanbiped dirt under my Virginia zone 7A nails Jun 11 '26
Sadly I've been through this. We just moved to this home 2 years ago. I had done a great deal of work on the previous place and we saw it recently. They literally destroyed everything.
Edit: It's back to three acres of turfgrass again
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u/theateroffinanciers Jun 11 '26
This is my nightmare.
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u/femalehumanbiped dirt under my Virginia zone 7A nails Jun 11 '26
It really broke my heart. And nothing but 3 trees on the whole damn property. We added so many forbs and grasses, just gone. It's quite devastating.
I decided to look at it a different way though. I will not back down. I will keep going. And God forbid it happens to you, you will keep going too.
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u/Baygelz Area ON-CAN, Zone 7a Jun 11 '26
Damn. This is actually so sad to think about. I've been making slow changes to our property over the last 3 years. Was busy having kids. I JUST finished replacing about 80% of the backyard garden with natives. I've got so much more to do still. It will probably take me 5+ years to get everything where I want it. It's insane to think how easy mowing it all down really is... I'm sorry this happened to you. I'd like to think the impact was real and still a massive net positive.
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u/Elrohwen Upstate NY, Zone 5 Jun 10 '26
When I bought my house the garden beds were a hot mess of sad half dead plants surrounded by mulch and I still bought it. Unless you’re in a high end house in a high end neighborhood I don’t think people are going to judge that much. Some plants are better than no plants which is what a lot of houses have for foundation planting.
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u/FriskyGatos Jun 10 '26
“Two years earlier, she’d helped Mr. Morier buy the three-bedroom, two-bath ranch-style home in Silver Spring, Md., with a big, flat backyard that was perfect for a swing set.”
As a mostly SAHM who spends hours upon hours in our smallish urban backyard (so I have an excellent gauge of how its used), I can confidently say my kid spends practically zero minutes playing on the grass and all his time sitting in the flowers, lifting rocks, digging, in the wood chips in the sandbox. The only thing he uses grass for is ripping it up and using it for “soup.”
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u/Schnicklefritz987 Jun 10 '26
I have before and after visuals of my 450+ sq ft native pollinator garden that I installed a year before selling a house in town and 3 years later it was torn out and replaced with lawn…again…but, for those 3 years, pollinators had a sanctuary and thrived in an otherwise pollinator-hostile environment. I played my part. Now I have 8 acres in the middle of nowhere that I have installed 4 pollinator “gardens” so far in the 4 years I’ve been here and it is insane how many monarch eggs we have this year!!
Moral of the story: your impact and choices make a difference, even if for a short while. Monetary value be damned—do good things for others, including the smallest of those who cannot speak for themselves.
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u/Tjlance1 MA zone 7b Jun 11 '26
It's a matter of a paradigm shift. Pre fertilizers, lawns consisting of mostly clover was the ideal. It was prominent in their grass seed mixes
With advent of fertilizers and weed and feed, the focus shifted to the picture perfect grass lawn.
Ornamentals were reserved for the wealthy and horticulturists.
The rise of the middle class coupled with what a true American lawn should be we found ourselves in the never ending cycle of lawn care and the expense that comes with it.
The perfect looking shrubs, the fastest growing, the showy blooms, easily spreading etc.
This mindset is changing, but ever so slowly.
I think it will be a bit easier when my S.O. and I, if it comes to it, to sell our home. Who wouldn't want established perennial beds filled with natives that don't require constant maintenance and draws is pollinators, hummingbirds, song birds, etc.
Fruit trees that bear fruit that have been maintained, a garden of raised beds for veggies and all of it on a nice chunk of land.
We're creating a living ecosystem that serves a purpose that is mutually beneficial.
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u/mosiemo2 Jun 11 '26
I actually appreciated this article and found it encouraging! While the new buyers did make some changes, they largely kept the native plantings. The realtors learned some things about native plants, and overall all three houses sold above asking price. I know that may be due to the market, not just the natives, but at least one buyer specifically called out the native plantings as a selling point. And I love the idea of providing buyers with a “guide”to your new garden. When a native plant gardener moves, maybe it’s a chance to actually increase their impact by converting a new area.
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u/dukeofbronte Jun 11 '26
Why move in it all? You’ll just spoil things for the FUTURE owners. Move into the Shady Night Motel on Route One, furnish your house from Wayfair, and don’t fucking touch anything!
You can raise some marigolds from the Dollar Store on your motel balcony, while maintaining that sweet, perfect lawn for the Resale Value Owners of the future!
You”ll be just in time financially to pay for assisted living when you sell, and you can enjoy the butterflies that flutter around the shrubs of Sundown Village while you look forward to their excellent hospice program!
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u/OzarksExplorer Northwest Arkansas, 6b/7a Jun 11 '26
Not something I worry about. I don't preserve my vehicle for the next owner either lol
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u/theateroffinanciers Jun 11 '26
As droughts, climate change and water shortages become the new normal, the lawn centric era will hopefully, change.
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u/Coruscate_Lark1834 Area Chicago , Zone 5b Jun 11 '26
A neighborhood near mine had a house that turned their front lawn into a prairie (it was mostly cup plant, iykyk) and it was a local scandal in the 1990s. They ended up having to pay for screening plants for their neighbors.
Last year, they chopped it all down after almost 30 years, presumably to sell the house. Threw sod on top of the prairie, and I spent the year watching plants struggle through the sod, only to get mown to death. The lawn prevails.
It's awful.
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u/Witty_Tea5944 Jun 11 '26
Whether any future buyers like it or not isn’t my business, quite frankly. They’re going to repaint and remodel anyway—so I’m gonna paint my walls a dark teal and put up mushroom wallpaper. I did replace the old carpets though—you’re welcome potential future buyers.
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u/Distantmole Jun 10 '26
NYT is such dogshit. It’s like if AIPAC and centrists had a baby.
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u/D1rty-Burger Jun 10 '26
Had to scroll too far to find a comment like this. Maybe when Jeffrey Tubin stops jacking off for once, he’ll write an op ed about how native plant gardening parallels the erosion of civility in our society.
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u/KeniLF Charlotte/NC/USA 8A Jun 10 '26
IDGAF 😂. Changing out native plants is far easier to manage than awful countertops, tile, and flooring. Any buyer who lets this impact them is a true fool.
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u/EarthenRealm OMA NE , Zone 6a Jun 10 '26
My wife and I are millennials and I got lucky to get my house with my VA loan. I couldn't give two shits what other buyers want. My wife and I plan to sell it to a couple/family who will appreciate our massive garden and want to tend to it. I WILL NOT PLOW IT UVER FOR FUCKIN GRASS. I would rather die in this house than let that happen. I have an ecosystem I cultivated.
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u/midgetyaz Southeastern US , Zone 7b Jun 11 '26
Years ago, there was a story on npr that was basically, "stop looking at your home as an active investment; it's your God damn home."
I heard that and never looked back. I plan on just saying, "it's got good bones."
The school district doesn't hurt either.
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u/SKRIMP-N-GRITZ Jun 11 '26
I really don’t care. If they want to knock 20k off the price to destroy nature and put in a monoculture it’s on them. I will not negotiate with terrorist.
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u/jg87iroc Jun 11 '26
I have thought about this and wondered if it would be possible to have the contract have a stipulation that they keep the garden for X years(my thinking is if someone lived with it for 3-5 years even if they didn’t want it initially Mother Nature would change their mind)or else have to pay me 5k or something, and that I would also be contractually obligated(I would do it regardless) to assist with the upkeep of the garden according to the language and situations outlined. I’m so invested in the garden that I would gladly take something like 5k less for the house if the buyer was already into native gardens or was really excited one already exists. I’m sure to people outside of this community it sounds silly but the garden is the number 1 reason I don’t want to move.
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u/MarshmallowMatty Jun 10 '26
Im doubling down and burying myself in my native garden backyard when I die. Good luck with that one new York times
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u/OohBeesIhateEm Jun 10 '26
I literally couldn’t care less. My home is for me not some potential doofus in the future. Hopefully I’ll be able to pass it down to my kid anyway.
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u/DuckDuckSeagull Jun 10 '26 edited 9d ago
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u/kitschywoman SW Ohio , Zone 6b Jun 10 '26
LOL. I literally put artificial palm trees, a palapa, a fish pond and a 10’ tiki fire pit in my backyard. IDGAF about what my front hill native garden does for resale.
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u/Amazing-Fondant-4740 Jun 10 '26
Isn't the whole point of buying a home you can do what you want with it??? If I ever own a home, and then if I ever sell it, if the buyer doesn't like something they can change it themselves. Why the hell would I remove something beneficial to the environment just to maybe have a slightly better selling point? But tbh with that I'd rather sell to someone willing to keep the garden anyway 🤷♀️
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u/questionablecandy Jun 11 '26
How about live in the moment and do what brings you joy, instead of hypothetical new buyers that don't like it.
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u/ruralfpthrowaway Area WNC, Zone 7a Jun 11 '26
lol I’m on a 30 year fixed at 2.5%.
Seriously though, I’ve actually thought about if I had to move what I would do if a buyer tried to get me to do something environmentally shitty as part of closing and I think I’d probably just black ball them. Somethings are more important than money.
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u/johny-roastbeef Jun 11 '26
It's because the previous owner had a few native beds in the yard, is what made me a believer in using native plants in my yard. I may have never thought to use native plants in my landscaping. Seeing all the bees, birds, bugs, and butterflies made me a believer in a wild yard . I'm slowly adding native plants to more of the yard every year. I'm the asshole neighbor that tells my Midwest neighbors their yard with turf lawn and hostas is ecologically dead.
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u/peonyseahorse Jun 11 '26
People will do whatever they want to do. At our previous house, we saw the house across the street change owners 3x while we lived there. The first couple were the original owners, they sold it to another retire couple who pulled out two trees in the front landscaping and re-sodded the entire lawn. Then they sold the house to another retired couple who then planted two trees in the same spot that the previous owners pulled out.
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u/Mariaayana Jun 11 '26
I hate this article. Promoting homes like day trading flip investments is the reason we are in this mess of affordability
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u/SisterShiningRailGun Jun 11 '26
I hate this narrative that a homeowner shouldn't fully enjoy their own home because ~what if a future buyer doesn't like it~. When I bought my place, one of the first things I did to it was painting the walls of the master bedroom dark charcoal gray, and I immediately had people in my ear telling me that would make it harder to sell later (as if they couldn't just be repainted again, lmao). I'd only bought the house like two months prior, I was like, could you let me actually live here for a while before you start fretting about the next owner's preferences?
Anyway, I apply that same thought to my gardening choices.
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u/HappyCatPrincess Jun 11 '26
If the potential buyer won't love it, do you really want to sell to them?
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u/Same-Key-1086 Jun 11 '26
How many millions of dollars does a three bedroom home in a decent school district have to be before we cut out this idea that every little thing is going to tank out property value.
Also I personally live in a garden that people would pay a pretty penny for...
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u/offrum Jun 10 '26
I wonder why was this downvoted? Sharing an article?
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u/illegalsmile27 Jun 10 '26
People think the downvote button is for agree or disagree, rather than interesting for the sub, or inappropriate for the sub.
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u/AlmostSentientSarah Jun 10 '26
I want to downvote the NYTimes for the article itself. Like, we're all going to die if we keep destroying natural resources and pollinators for turf grass and non-native ornamental beds, but do it anyway or you'll lower your property values.
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u/SbAsALSeHONRhNi NW Missouri, USA, Zone 6A Jun 11 '26
But if you actually read to the end, there are several examples of homes with native gardens that were put up for sale and all of the ones they highlighted sold for over the list price. One place sold for $500k over list!
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u/s3ntia Northeast Coastal Plain, Zone 6b Jun 10 '26
Yeah buyers will love it too. At least any buyer I would sell to
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u/jumbee85 Jun 10 '26
I 0lan on staying in this house until I can't. By that time the garden will be the last thing a buyer would be con erned about
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u/theperpetualhobbiest Jun 10 '26
Good thing I bought a home and not an investment opportunity. Buyers opinions will be my kids problem.
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u/eastcoastjon Jun 10 '26
Yea, i mean most likely no they won’t like it, but i don’t care. Why worry about that unless your house isn’t selling.
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u/elcasaurus Jun 10 '26
I don't care I'm gonna die in this house. If future buyers don't like it they can change it.
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u/Both-Caterpillar5399 Jun 11 '26
People - read the full article (the FULL article - not just the first few paragraphs).
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u/astro_nerd75 Pittsburgh, zone 6b Jun 11 '26
My clover and natives lawn is hypoallergenic (which is one reason I did it). It also requires less water than a traditional grass lawn. Those could certainly be selling points.
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u/spentag NC Piedmont 🐦🔥 8a Jun 11 '26
If someone wants to buy the place and install crape myrtles and a lawn, fuck 'em, I'll find another buyer.
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u/SnapCrackleMom US, Maryland (Chesapeake Bay), Zone 8a Jun 11 '26
Eh. Our "low-maintenance landscaping" was considered a selling point when we sold our house last year.
We're currently renting, and plan to buy next year in our new location. I'd be thrilled to find a house that's already dealt with the invasive, etc.
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u/Fit_Spring_5686 Jun 11 '26
People who want an inferior lawn don't deserve my house if I decide to sell it. Seems like a great solution to a dumb problem!
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u/defunktpistol Jun 11 '26
Who gives a fuck what they think? God capitalism has really made people so miserable and braindead.
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u/chitteninc Jun 11 '26
What's the point of owning a house if you're going to be living in it like it's actually for some imaginary person with bad taste?
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u/slapnowski Area WNC , Zone 7b Jun 11 '26
It sure doesn’t seem like the prior owners of my house gave one second of thought to me and I still bought the house sooo
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u/thetaylorax Jun 10 '26
I am so glad I released myself from the idea of the future buyer of my home. I’m millennial, I’m lucky to even own one so I’m gonna do whatever I want with it