Clover Lawns: Saskatoon Homeowners Embrace Grass Alternatives

Now that the summer heat is setting in, you can enjoy spending the day on your lawn.

Clover lawns are becoming increasingly common in Saskatoon, with a variety of options available from natural to artificial.

“A lot more people are planting clover intentionally,” says Cory Confrey, a buyer at Early’s Farm & Garden Centre. “There are still a lot of people who are trying to get rid of the clover in their lawn because they don’t like the way it looks.”

Confrey cannot verify the claims that clover lawns use less water because he has not seen evidence of this. However, he does say that clover generally does better under adverse conditions.

“It depends on the growing conditions, what kind of soil you have,” he said. “And clover is generally adapted to a wider variety of soil types than grass, so it may do better with less water in your particular yard.”

Another great benefit of clover lawns is the menu it provides for local pollinators such as bees.

According to Wild About Saskatoon, the idea of ​​a clover lawn is a great first step to supporting the local environment from your own front or backyard.

“Growing clover instead of a row of grass came from the realization that pollinators need support,” said Candace Savage of Wild About Saskatoon. “And the world blooming instead of just being lush green is a step in that direction.”

But with about 300 species of wild bees that she says are picky eaters and feed on different vegetation, there is no advantage in trading one monoculture for another.

“To support all those nearly 300 different species of wild bees, we need a great diversity of plants,” she said.

Confrey agrees, saying a hybrid grass/clover lawn seems to offer the best of both worlds.

“Clover is going to be more resistant to certain conditions and diseases than grasses, and grasses are going to have a different resistance and survival rate than clover,” Confrey told CTV News. “So the mix is ​​always the best way to go.”