Has anyone ever grown a clover lawn?

I hate lawn care. I treat my grass as something which holds the hillside in place, so no fertilizers or extra watering. I wouldn't bother with it at all execept for two facts:

• The kids like to run up and down the hill
• I need to keep it low to minimize the number of times a year that I have to play host to DCNR PA's rangers, who are nice people on the whole, that have been trapping the plethora of protected rattlesnakes I keep finding in the high grass and pool areas.

It looks like there's a couple companies that sell what they call micro clover which is mowing tolerant and only grows to 4 inches or so. That appeals to me a lot.

Anyone have actual experience with it or something similar?

I had no idea such a thing existed. I am interested too, mowing is on the list of activities i hate

If it's anything like the natural clover that dominated a large swath of my lawn when we moved into our house, it will be replaced by solid sheets of moss in the subsequent years.

My back yard is clover. And I love it!!  

It reminds me of when I was a kid in Redding California. 

The park was all clover and I played in it all day.  Catching butterflies and bees :)

I think next year Im going to do the front in Milk Flowers. That way I can just cut the edges and side walk split. 

Put up a sign that says butter fly sanctuary. 

In reply to Driven5 :

Is was that due to the nitrogen from the clover or were you shaded and low/flat? The hill is south facing and pretty open.

Bonus is that the clover attracts bees and butterflies, which the kids love.

Yes, it's cheap, low maintenance, and weather resistant. I prefer dutch clover to micro clover because when you mow it it the flowering tops are removed and the stalks look just like normal grass.  The catch is that clover is not very weed resistant, and lawn treatment designed to kill weeds kills the clover too.  

Not on purpose. 

This is strange.  This is the forth time clover has come up this week.  It appears all of the lawn around here are covered in clover this year.   I used to kill it in my lawn, but I'm going to let it be from now on.   

I feel like the great american lawn is a a waste of space and resources, but I will be damned if I have a better idea for my full sun plot of land.

Googling clover now. 

I have noticed huge fields of clover being cultivated in our local grass seed growing regions lately. Perhaps that is what this is all about? They all had tons of wooden bee hives around them as well.

In reply to Jumper K Balls :

There's a three reasons for it as far as I can tell:

First is nitrogen fixing which is great for farmers and generally good for other grasses.

Second is the butterflies and bees.

Third delicious forest cows (deer) like to eat certain species. I'm not very sporting with them.

I'm growing some accidental clover right now. I love it.

The0retical said:

In reply to Driven5 :

Is was that due to the nitrogen from the clover or were you shaded and low/flat? The hill is south facing and pretty open.

Bonus is that the clover attracts bees and butterflies, which the kids love.

I have no idea what might have caused it to happen.  Moss is a big thing around here though, so I figured it just choked the clover out like it tries to do with the grass.  Oddly enough, it's in probably the sunniest, best draining, and flattest part of the yard.  It was graded and graveled, apparently for a home expansion or something by the previous owner, which has given way to this solid cover of growth over the years.  Our shady wet slope is almost solid buttercups.

It certainly was cool going out there into the clover area in the summer and looking down to see the entire section of yard surrounding you appearing to be alive with all of the movement of the multitude of bees going about their business below knee level.

Lawn seed used to almost always include clover back in the day.  A mutt yard is a healthy yard.

Appleseed said:

Not on purpose. 

Came in here to say exactly this.  I wouldn't even fight it, but my neighbor's lawn looks like a golf course and I don't want my clover creeping in on him.

“Last year was all clover. Killed it. This year is dandelions. Killing them. Next year will be... oh who the **** cares anymore!!!!”

kazoospec said:

Appleseed said:

Not on purpose. 

Came in here to say exactly this.  I wouldn't even fight it, but my neighbor's lawn looks like a golf course and I don't want my clover creeping in on him.

This. Actively trying to kill the clover in my lawn right now <shakes fist>

How does Tommy James & The Shondells feel about this?

Watching with interest.

Lawn care is funny. Never have I gone beyond keeping it mowed. One time I even went as far as reclaiming an acre or two from waist high tall grass/brush. With a push mower it was a pain. But after 2 years it looked good. 

OP, I think you want this:  https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/zoysia-grass-yes-or-no/139497/page1/

In reply to spitfirebill :

It's like crimson and clover, over and over

Appleseed said:

Not on purpose. 

Same here.  Never intentionally. 

Also, had a beautiful creeping charlie rear lawn at my last place. 

Clover does well here, but I do nothing to encourage it. 

One thing about clover, if you happen to walk through it in the Summertime with sandals on your feet, it is possible that you will inadvertently scoop up a honeybee between your toes.  It is also possible that the honeybee will not appreciate your intrusion and will feel threatened, at which time it may sting you, causing some considerable amount of discomfort.  Ask me how I know.