Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Carpet of clover


This is my TENTH summer season at this house.  When I moved in the lawns were filled with - grass.  There were a few patches of white clover here and there in the back, but the rest of the place was a typical American green desert, lending no support whatsoever to bird, bee, or bunny.

Since then I've tried like crazy to redistribute the white clover.  The back lawns took to it pretty well, with more swaths of clover every year.  I don't know what the tipping event was last year, though, but this year the ENTIRE PROPERTY now sports a lush carpet of clover.  Even the front lawn, the last holdout for some reason, decided to join the party.

I had commented in an earlier post about the heat and lack of rain that the lawns hadn't been mowed for 2 weeks.  Well, it wasn't because I COULDN'T have mown them, but there was no way I was GOING to mow them.  The place is a real standout in the neighborhood. *heh*  Especially compared to the toasted fairways of the golf course.

And as for bees --  I've had more honeybees per square foot this year than any other year.  I estimate that there are at least 4 honeybees per square foot!  And I have 1.25 ACRES!  When I sit out in the lawn on these torrid days, the first thing you hear is HUM.  A low pervasive DRONE.  It's just incredible!!

I don't know if these are owned hives or feral.  It doesn't matter.  The bees are THRIVING!

Nope, not gonna mow until all the blooms are blown, brown and dead.  Then I'll hold off even a little longer - making sure the seeds have formed so I can spread them again for next year.

(I haven't mentioned the native bees.  They, too, are just everywhere.  I'll do up a post about them very soon.)

Meanwhile, the lawn hasn't been this white since winter!  :-D

6 comments:

  1. That is a lot of clover! I was thinking as I saw the pic and started reading that the bees must be in heaven! I just have a bit here and there in the grass and the bees flock to it.
    I love to hear the bees making their rounds in the garden. Lois

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    1. I know some of the neighbors think I have a messy/weedy lawn. Too bad. Without bees to pollinate crops, EVERYone would suffer. I've had huge swaths of clover before, but there has NEVER been such an influx of honeybees as this year. Quite encouraging! :-D

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  2. I have lots of clover in my lawn, too. But it won't grow in the drier patches since it likes to be moist. I hate it when people consider it a weed!

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    1. Odd. Here the clover doesn't like shade/moist, but prefers the full sun. Weed? You've GOT to be kidding! I'd like people to see just how little variety they'd get in the way of produce if there were no bees to pollinate their crops. Glad you're having some good clover their too.

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  3. What a magnificent sight! Scr*w the neighbours - one day (if we haven't already toasted the planet) everyone will do this and the whiter your lawn the more highly regarded you will be :} Very few bees here this summer, perhaps it is too cold?

    I too have periods when the lawns cannot be cut because I won't chop off the clover flowers (like right now) and have been known to mow around patches of daisies. It used to confuse the hell out of Management but now he knows better than to say anything ...

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    1. The honeybees started showing up in March this year when we got that 2-week summer mid-March. Since then they've been everywhere. It was only a couple weeks ago that I started to see significant numbers of NATIVE bees. Thankfully they seem to be doing well this season too.

      I've seen your old pics of clover patches, etc. Glad to see others appreciate a lawn of mown meadow plants. :-D

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