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VICTORY GARDENS: On What To Do With All The Clover That You Can Find (And Why)

by Lisa Giroday, Sandra Lopuch and Sam Philips |  Clover (Trifolium) is a member of the leguminous pea family, Fabaceae. This edible wild flower is regarded as a symbol of luck in some cultures, and as a pest in others. Though sometimes considered a weed, it is always a nectar source for honeybees, not to mention fodder for grazing. The flowers have a plethora of uses, and it’s in season now, so collect some on your next nature walk. All parts of the clover are edible, but the flowers hold particular interest for their sweet, delicate aroma, and their fresh, grassy, pea-like flavour (and as we all know, one more edible plant that you know about makes you one step closer to surviving the apocalypse). Try putting some raw flowers in a salad to add colour and flavour, or make tea, or vinegar. For the more labour-intensive uses, make a wine or jelly.

Medicinal qualities: clover is beneficial for respiratory ailments, eczema and psoriasis. For the ladies out there, it regulates estrogen in the body. As far as the earth is concerned, clover fixes nitrogen back into the soil, which is essential for plant growth. So yeah, clover is amazing. Find some. Have some.

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Victory Gardens is a team of local urban farmers for hire. Lisa, Sandra and Sam help transform tired or underused residential and commercial green spaces into food producing gardens. Their goal is to challenge the way communities use space and to participate in the change needed to consume food more sustainably. For the rest of the growing season, they’ve hooked up with Scout to share some cool tips and tricks on how to get the best from of our own backyards.