Trifolium, or clover, I perhaps could have posted on St.Patrick's Day, being that it was he, who gave the humble clover the symbolism of the holy trinity and coined the name 'Shamrock'.
The name, trifolium comes from the Latin words which, surprise, surprise, mean 'three leaves'. Although sometimes there is a lucky four-leaf and even rarer, are the 5 and 6 leaved clovers. There are some fantastical numbers of leaved-clovers in the Guinness Book of World Records, but the notion of 56 just blows my mind!
I love this little plant because it hangs out on the ground, quietly going about some very helpful business in my garden. It has invaded the paths between my vegetable beds and I've decided, actually, that's very okay.
For one, it helps provide nectar for our bees, who in turn pollinate the clover.
Secondly, the clover is a nitrogen-fixing plant, which will serve my vegetable-garden, so long as it doesn't take over the growing space.
Thirdly, the excess I weed away, goes to the hens, which gives them a pile of lovely fresh greens to munch on.
Fourthly, it makes a very pretty, if slightly dangerous, path, all those lovely rounded bright green leaves running between the beds.
Thank you clover!
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