Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang
Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with clover lawns? I have noticed that clover seems to do well in this climate, and after doing some Googling, it seems that clover lawns are actually a thing. Scotts even sells seed marketed as "Clover Lawn".
Apparently they do well in dry climates, require less water, are lush and green, tolerate mowing nicely, are more weed resistant, and are helpful to bees.
My front yard is south facing and has a considerable slope, and each year I put in a fair bit of work on it with minimal long-term benefits. I aerate, top-dress, fertilize, seed as needed, water frequently and it just never really looks good, particularly the steeper parts. I just don't think that it can hold the water necessary to grow grass properly, so I am looking at alternatives.
In the short term, I'm not particularly keen on terracing it to correct the slope and have considered just planting some wild shrubs and grasses and giving up on the ol' Kentucky blue grass. I also don't want a full rock and gravel front yard, but some native and/or low maintenance ground covers and shrubs are all options.
So back to my original question - is clover lawn the first step to maintaining some greenery but also acknowledging that grass is not necessarily best for this climate and my particular location? And not that I care what people think of it, but are clovers still seen as a weed and a nuisance?
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Yes, I planted clover in my front yard several years ago. Mind you, it is just the path between my rock gardens. I bought clover seed from RONA for my first attempt and it really didn't take. This year, I purchased seed from West Coast seeds and it is growing quicker (this rain helps no doubt).
In my rock garden, I use primarily native shrubs and wildflowers purchased from Wild about Flowers and Bow Point Nursery.
My back yard is a challenge because of the dogs and one third of the lawn has been dead for three summers now. No amount of dirt and grass seed has helped. The aforementioned RONA clover seed didn't work either. This year, I used clover seed and Bee's Turf (mix of clover, fescue and small wild flowers) from West Coast Seed and it is growing quite well. Clover apparently resists the dog urine, too.
I am not too concerned about what people think of the clover. Considering the shape of many yards in my neighborhood, my clover should be the least of anyone's concerns.