Rewilding a Suburban Yard in Virginia
Transforming conventional lawn into habitat, beauty, biodiversity, and deeper connection with place.
In the Spring of 2025, I made a bold decision: transform my boring conventional lawn into a natural, native habitat. Most of the neighbors think I am crazy, but I find this truly more rewarding than maintaining a perfectly manicured lawn. Follow my journey below.
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Spring 2025
I started by testing a small area. I removed the grass and added wood chips to create a path and a planting area. I planted wild flowers and milkweed.
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October 2025
Next, I discovered a website called Chip Drop. They delivered free wood chips. Then, I put a layer of cardboard and about 9-12 inches of woodchips over the cardboard on half the grass. I will do the other half later.
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April 2026
The grass is decomposing under the woodchips. Mycelium is developing in the woodchips and soil. I began planting native plants.