# What is this plant that has taken over my lawn?



## Dave7 (18 Jun 2021)

Think I asked this last year but can't remember the answer.
This year it is really taking over.
The bees love them.
I am torn between letting nature take its course and getting rid of them.


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## LCpl Boiled Egg (18 Jun 2021)

I think it's clover, I have it on my lawn too. Looks nicer than the grass but that doesn't take much in my garden.


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## vickster (18 Jun 2021)

Clover


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## PaulSB (18 Jun 2021)

Clover 🍀. Let the bees enjoy it. The flowers will die off in 2-3 weeks and you can mow again. It will keep flowering through the summer.


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## glasgowcyclist (18 Jun 2021)

Dave7 said:


> I am torn between letting nature take its course and getting rid of them.




Keep them, they're great. As PaulSB says, the flowers only last a few weeks then you can cut the grass as usual. We're trying to get our back garden to look like that by sowing seed last year and they've only just started to flower. At least keep them for the bees' sake.🐝


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## Tail End Charlie (18 Jun 2021)

I've been sowing crimson clover in plugs and planting them out over the last few months. I have lots of white clover aswell and the crimson ones look like spots of jewels in amongst all the grasses. This is in a paddock type area, where I am trying to encourage wildflowers.


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## Blue Hills (18 Jun 2021)

you're in clover as the saying goes dave.
enjoy it drink a nice beer to the happy bees.


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## mustang1 (18 Jun 2021)

Dave7 said:


> View attachment 594482
> 
> Think I asked this last year but can't remember the answer.
> This year it is really taking over.
> ...


But whether you keep the flowers or get rid of them, that will still be nature taking it's course because you are also, well, natural. Suppose there was some animal that eats that kind of flower, many people would call that natural. But if a human does it, people do not consider that to be natural.


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## Sharky (18 Jun 2021)

Before you mow the lawn, have a look for four leaf clovers. They are supposed to be lucky.


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## postman (25 Jun 2021)

For some reason this year,we have clover and buttercups,and for the first time I am not bothered lawn does not need to look like a billiard table.Must be getting old.


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## Gillstay (25 Jun 2021)

postman said:


> For some reason this year,we have clover and buttercups,and for the first time I am not bothered lawn does not need to look like a billiard table.Must be getting old.


No sensible, why carry on this Victorian hang over, aside from making people buy mowers, fertilizers, moss killers.........


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## jowwy (26 Jun 2021)

Gillstay said:


> No sensible, why carry on this Victorian hang over, aside from making people buy mowers, fertilizers, moss killers.........


Nobody is “making” you buy anything……its your choice to mow or not to mow


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## Gillstay (26 Jun 2021)

jowwy said:


> Nobody is “making” you buy anything……its your choice to mow or not to mow


Aah ! The wrong word, would influencing you to buy suit better ?


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## jowwy (26 Jun 2021)

Gillstay said:


> Aah ! The wrong word, would influencing you to buy suit better ?


Not really…….you decide what you buy through your own choices


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## Dave7 (27 Jun 2021)

Sharky said:


> Before you mow the lawn, have a look for four leaf clovers. They are supposed to be lucky.


It took me nearly 3 weeks to check every single clover.
Not one with 4 leaves.


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## PaulSB (28 Jun 2021)

Dave7 said:


> It took me nearly 3 weeks to check every single clover.
> Not one with 4 leaves.


More will have grown since you started..........have another look.


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## fossyant (28 Jun 2021)

I'd nuke it. Plenty of flowers for the bees around the lawn, not in it. Plus my lawn isn't very big, and there is a huge field behind the house with tonnes of wild flowers in it (now the council doesn't mow it - it was a local school's football field - it's wild now !)


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## FishFright (28 Jun 2021)

jowwy said:


> Not really…….you decide what you buy through your own choices



Which is why we never see adverts anymore.


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## figbat (28 Jun 2021)

This year we have let the lawn go wild. We decided the only reason to mow it was because that's what people do to lawns - we don't use it for lawn tennis or croquet or any other activities that demands a mown surface, and having let it go wild there are numerous flowering species which has led to a lot of bee and other insect activity. We mowed a few pathways through it to give easy access to certain areas of the garden (and to make it look like a deliberate wild meadow rather than an abandoned waste land!).

The issue now is when and how to cut the very long grass as and when it is time, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Maybe we can get a crop of hay from it for our degus.


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## jowwy (28 Jun 2021)

not having any wild grass or weeds growing on my lawn....plenty of plants around the borders they can feed off. Theres a reason why its called a lawn


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## Gillstay (28 Jun 2021)

figbat said:


> This year we have let the lawn go wild. We decided the only reason to mow it was because that's what people do to lawns - we don't use it for lawn tennis or croquet or any other activities that demands a mown surface, and having let it go wild there are numerous flowering species which has led to a lot of bee and other insect activity. We mowed a few pathways through it to give easy access to certain areas of the garden (and to make it look like a deliberate wild meadow rather than an abandoned waste land!).
> 
> The issue now is when and how to cut the very long grass as and when it is time, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Maybe we can get a crop of hay from it for our degus.


A good sharp sickle will cut a lot when its dry, leave it to dry, turn it and you can then bag it up, big paper feed bags I find best and then pet rabbits and G.pigs love it through winter. July is fine, but can be done much later. Or stages.


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## figbat (28 Jun 2021)

Gillstay said:


> A good sharp sickle will cut a lot when its dry, leave it to dry, turn it and you can then bag it up, big paper feed bags I find best and then pet rabbits and G.pigs love it through winter. July is fine, but can be done much later. Or stages.


I was thinking strimmer but my dad does have a scythe so might have a go with that.


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## Gillstay (28 Jun 2021)

figbat said:


> I was thinking strimmer but my dad does have a scythe so might have a go with that.


Also if you want to be serious look out for yellow rattle seeds. The flowers are finishing now and so seed soon after. Just scatter where you want the grass to do poorly. Attractive flowers as well.


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## twentysix by twentyfive (5 Aug 2021)

Dave7 said:


> It took me nearly 3 weeks to check every single clover.
> Not one with 4 leaves.


You missed it. Start over again


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## Rusty Nails (5 Aug 2021)

Gillstay said:


> No sensible, why carry on this Victorian hang over, aside from making people buy mowers, fertilizers, moss killers.........


The neatest bits of my lawn, which also take no maintenance, are covered in moss. What's not to like?


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