My biggest regret is not knowing the true difference between
red clover and white...I have lots of both growing around,
but the red is so tall and makes it hard to walk around.
On the other side, the white clover stays low, puts out flowers
that the bees just go crazy for, and can really take a landscape
that looks like the surface of the moon and change it into
a lush paradise vibrating with the eager work of honeybees.
This is the pathway leading to the greenhouse and then
the "driveway" which is now car-free.
Raspberries on the left, and fading into red clover
on the right...I just love walking through this everyday.
You have to watch out for the bees though!
I would cover an entire food forest with this.
Fukuoka knew that white clover was the key to fertility.
Whenever there is time to plant a new shrub or tree,
I just pull back the white clover until the space is adequate,
and then just pop in the new plant.
By pulling away some clover, I release lots of
nitrogen into the soil that the clover has fixed from the
the atmosphere into its roots. When you prune the top,
the plant "self-prunes" its own roots...thus feeding its neighbors.
It can handle some shade, and it can take the sun.
It stays low, feeds the bees, feeds the other plants,
and you can eat the flowers and the leaves!
This is a crucial addition to any food forest that has enough
moisture to support it...clover DOES need water.
Plant more and more - you wont regret it!!
