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So I have a fenced in back yard that has a less than perfect lawn; it exists in stark contrast to my very nice front lawn. I've been considering next year trying my luck at planting grass and improving it, but it's being taken over by clover.

After some reading I've found I might not actually mind a clover back yard -- it requires very little care and very soft. It's green and fluffy and from a distance looks like grass, additionally it attracts bees (good) and isn't affected by dogs as hard as regular grass is (also good!). It seems perfect for a backyard that I'd like to look nice but doesn't have to be held to exacting HOA standards.

Unfortunately, the only thing separating my back yard and my front yard is is a privacy fence and plants are quite happy to just grow around it. If I were to have a fescue front yard and a clover backyard, what would be my best strategy for keeping them separate?

Sidney
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2 Answers2

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I use a somewhat labor-intensive way to protect my fenced yard from my neighbors' weeds that might work for you - it depends on the type of privacy fence you have. My yard is bordered by a solid, cedar, fence that begins about 1-2" above ground level. If yours is similar, this will work. If not, then you can stop reading...

Fortunately, clover's stolons hug the ground and don't go much underground, so you can install standard edging under the fence. Make sure it extends from the a couple of inches below ground level to just under the bottom of the fence. This will keep the clover from moving to the front yard. Personally, I use 8" wide aluminum flashing because I have to prevent much deeper-rooted weeds from crossing under my fence, but you can get away with standard black plastic edging if you want.

Note that you must be able to have at least half of the edging below ground level and, if you use plastic, you must stake it with the 12" metal stakes that should be supplied with the edging. If the gap between ground and fence is too high, then you'll need to use flashing like I do. You don't need to stake it if you have 4" below ground level.

Don't buy the edging in box stores though! It's garbage. Buy only straight, 20 foot pieces from a garden center or nursery that caters to the landscaping trade. Since you'll be presumably installing a straight run, this will be FAR easier to install than the curled up thin and wobbly plastic available at box stores. Also - there is a trick to joining two pieces that prevents them from ever moving apart, so comment on this answer and I'll explain it then.

Jurp
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  • Oh yeah - I applaud your acceptance of white clover! I don't need to protect my vegetables from rabbits because rabbits LOVE white clover better than anything else. I do keep it away from my garden beds, though. – Jurp Jun 05 '18 at 20:13
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    Clover is also a cover crop. That means it needs to be turned over in the spring BEFORE the flowers go to seed. I would get a sod cutter and remove the back yard crops of weeds and clover and install grass sod. Truly easier, less expensive in the long run. Front lawns are sort of under the nazi rule of your development, grins! They will fine you if you have a luscious dark green clover 'lawn'. Cutting that short will 'scalp' your clover crop. Edging with cheapo anything always looks like a bandaid and very ugh. – stormy Jun 06 '18 at 01:21
  • Send a picture. Please. Also note that one doesn't walk barefoot through a clover lawn in flower. Ouch. Bees. If you want to play volley ball or badminton you'd have to reseed. Picture please, this is so tough to 'imagine' and 'assume' and answer questions without. – stormy Jun 06 '18 at 01:25
  • Stormy, white clover was a part of all American lawns until after WWII, when chemical companies began marketing broadleaf-killing herbicides and it suddenly became a lawn weed. You must be a high-end landscape architect if you think edging with contractor-grade plastic looks "el cheapo". And finally, the lawn will cover the edge of the plastic anyway, effectively hiding it. As for my flashing solution, in a garden situation one mulches to the top of the aluminum or uses plants to cover it. You could also spray paint it black, I suppose, but as I never see it I don't bother. – Jurp Jun 06 '18 at 11:03
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    You bet I WAS high end. I work for the common peoples, honey. Edging is what the human eye sees of a lawn. If that edging is anything other than perfect it ruins all the effort, investment and expectations of a lawn. The ONLY edging I would allow, sorry but I did have a bit of say, is a trench between beds and the lawn. Functional, not a distraction, beautiful curves, stable radii, aids drainage and mixing of plant material from lawn to bed. Easy peasy. That black plastic edging or anything thinner than a 2X4 will always look unprofessional. I am very opinionated. I earned my opinions! – stormy Jun 06 '18 at 23:45
  • I did trenching when I was young. And then I got old. I also like the look of a trench, which is why I spent 15 years re-trenching my entire garden every year. And then a friend of the family mis-stepped, fell of the edge of the lawn and into the flower bed. Luckily, she only strained her ankle and didn't break it. I, too, EARNED my opinion, and it's for, as you condescendlingly put it, the "common peoples". If you want to turn young potential gardeners off of gardening as a passion, then by all means keep recommending pristine lawns, hard-to-install edging, and double-digging anything. – Jurp Jun 07 '18 at 00:33
  • Contractror-grade edging, when properly installed, is not a distraction, allows for beautiful curves, stable radii, and keeps water from ponding at the front of the beds. It's black, so it blends well and disappears into the landscape well - as do nearly all black things in a garden. Trenching is NOT easy-peasy - certainly not when maintained by hand. And good luck with newbies learning how to use a trencher. – Jurp Jun 07 '18 at 00:39
  • "Perfection" is in the eye of the beholder, of course, as is tolerance of non-traditional plantings. I, personally, think people who encourage dandelions are mis-guided, as you may feel about people like me who don't encourage people to remove clover. – Jurp Jun 07 '18 at 00:40
  • Jurp first, perfection is NOT in the eye of the beholder until that beholder knows why. Let's say BEAUTY. Not perfection. There is no such thing. There are 'rules' taught to designers that we've learned about ourselves. If one doesn't know them, use them they will not be able to produce a piece of art in anything. I know that sounds inciting but relax. Jurp, you need to know I am anything but traditional. I learned how to walk the line between making money and still being able to educate. I was NOT encouraging removal of clover. Dandelions are an incredible source of food for humans. – stormy Jun 07 '18 at 05:48
  • Jurp we gotta go to chat, I am serious. You are not understanding me at all. Pristine lawns? Good grief. I know how to create lawns and how to teach maintenance. Pristine lawns, major sigh. I know what works and what does not. If I am turning others off from gardening then perhaps I am saving them the trouble of wasting any of their time and money on an endeavor that does take knowledge, not magic to be successful. To much work. Then I am glad I got that across. There is no magic about plants and soil. Basics. Anyone can do it but someone thinks they do a little and walk away? – stormy Jun 07 '18 at 05:54
  • Trenches; 8 to 10 inches across, 6" deep. Not needing a trencher at all. Not tough at all. Easy peasy if you know what you are doing and why. A simple shovel, a little bending over...getting people out in the yard getting their hands dirty and their knees grass stained is what I am all about. – stormy Jun 07 '18 at 05:59
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I actively plant white clover in my raised bed as a cover crop amidst the tomatoes. As you mentioned bees abound and that's fantastic. I harvest regularly and just toss the leaves back in the raised bed, much like comfrey. I find it to be a gentle plant that conforms to regular harvesting if you don't mind the extra work. Note that I live in CA, which tends to dry and this advice may or may not apply.

OyaMist
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