[Small Things]
Up until 1940, clover lawns were common in the United States. In fact, the first gardening book in the US, published by Andrew Jackson Downing in 1841, said to “sow four bushels of it to the acre and not a pint less as you plan to walk on velvet!”
The clover lawn fell out of favor in the US with the advent of more weed-killing pesticides, which is a shame, if you ask me.
Our front yard is a patch of weeds right now, but next year I’m considering planting a clover lawn. I see them around town and always think they look charming and friendly in a way that your usual grass lawn do not. There are lots of advantages to a clover lawn. For example:
1. You don’t have to fertilize. In fact, clover are nitrogen affixing plants, meaning that they actually improve the quality of your soil over time by pulling it from the air and putting it into the soil.
2. You don’t have to mow. At full height, clover get about 4-8 inches tall and produces small white flowers. If you’re happy with that height, you don’t have to get out the mower anymore.
3. Clover attracts beneficial insects. Bees in particular like clover.
4. Clover is drought tolerant. Once established, they take less watering than regular lawns.
5. A clover lawn looks cute and smells great.
[Urban Pollinators]
Do you have a clover lawn? What do you think?
I have much of my lawn in clover. I have a big vegetable garden and needed to attract more bees. In my area though, the clover gets pretty tall and I do have to mow it
Maddie, yeah I think it depends on the type of clover you have. Thanks for your feedback.