For the past few weeks, as I mowed my lawn, I have noticed beautiful flowers growing where they probably shouldn’t be growing – like violets and buttercups. This week I saw clover blooming. Clover is not at all a weed, but many consider the delicate plant to be invasive. Not me. I actually plant clover whenever I have a patch in my yard that may be in need of some grass seed.
Clover is one of the great pollinator attractors. Honeybees love clover and I love honeybees.
Clover is actually in the legume, the pea family. It is a perennial, but can die out because of insects, disease and improper nutrients. Acidic soil will kill off clover. A dusting of lime will help. That’s why I resew often, to keep the clover bloom growing. And keep the bees coming.
Farmers love clover, one of the best hay crops of all. Farmers also turn under clover as a “green manure”, to add nutrients to the soil.
The little, white flower is certainly not as stunning as a violet of buttercup, but we need more clover, not less.
Keep a pack of clover seed in your shed and toss out a handful ever so often. The bees – and your plants – will thank you and if you find one with four leaves, you might just win the Lottery.