Comments on: Living Life in Clover

By: Izzy

Izzy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:58:00 +0000

I live in Oregon. I built my house a year ago and still haven't been able to afford to landscape my front yard. I built my house to save a tree in my front yard, it was quite an ordeal. It is a 40+ year old willow. Very mystical and whimsy. I have four little children who love it. I have now collected rocks and outlined a path, my bed under the tree and where my front yard begins after that bed and ends at the ditch and then the street. We have natural storm drains.
Now I am left with large front to plant grass which I can't afford to water, woudn't want to or get to it if I could honestly… My gut tells me no grass. Its irresponsible. I'm planting Crimson Clover. It grows fast and cleans the air thats why it becomes nitrogen in the soil when composted right? Besides, It will add amazing contrast to all the green around us and fix our construction soil and the boring unfinished look of our yard. What do you think? Will that help or harm my neighbor who is selling next door or my friend trying to rent their house out next door? Oh! I was also thinking that it will help the bees. I've noticed lots of dead bees in sitting water around my house.

By: Becky

Becky — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 18:54:17 +0000

note to self: get that clover growin’

By: Sparow

Sparow — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 20:40:55 +0000

Much as I love clover and agree with it as a lawn alternative, it’s also worth mentioning that there are different types of clover. Often, here in the mid-atlantic, Crimson Clover is considered invasive so shouldn’t be planted. I assume that Susan was probably referring to White Dutch clover which is the variety most commonly found in lawns. One thing I have discovered while lounging in patches of clover, however, is that it stains clothing much worse than grass does (and the stains are a lot harder to get out, too!)

By: knitagarden

knitagarden — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 14:01:33 +0000

I planted one lb. of white clover seed into my non-lawn in early spring. My honeybees love clover and I definitely like its non-maintenance value. When you are away & can’t mow the lawn, its quite nice to return to a mass of clover flowers & happy bees.

By: Alice

Alice — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 11:56:24 +0000

Not sure where the writer’s ’summer’ is, but I’d like to see it stay green through an Australian summer with little or no water.

By: Nelumbo

Nelumbo — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 04:47:16 +0000

Interesting idea. In the midwest I’ve seen farmers plant up some clover in their fields between crops, since it adds nitrogen to the soil they can use less fertilizer with the next crop. Pretty cool trick.