I need a ground cover my kids can play on. Clover is a really nice option. The tragedy is that it spreads like a weed, which means my neighbours must accept my choice or install some ridiculous barriers, harming the existing characteristic of us all using each other’s lawn as a common play area.
It would be nice if clover was just kind of the de facto standard.
It tolerates moderate treading (i.e. a family walking on it on occassion or kids playing but not vehicles or wheeled stuff), it uses practically no water, it grows slowly so it rarely needs to be cut, and it only grows a few inches in height at most so often it doesn't need to be mowed at all, and blooms in the spring with tons of tiny little flowers spotted all over your lawn.
It comes in a handful of varieties that all grow between 2-6 inches in height and have a variety of textures or flower colors.
There's nothing wrong with growing grass mixed with clover. Clover on its own tho won't form a complete groundcover.
There's nothing wrong with having a lawn if you don't live in a drought-prone area. It's a lot less work than anything else people suggest. Just run a mower over it every couple weeks. And just plant with grass seeds adapted for your area, mix with clover, and ignore your stupid neighbours.
Clover invades garden beds. It will choke out an edible garden and destroy the aesthetics of an ornamental garden. It will prevent seedlings from thriving. There is absolutely nothing wrong with not wanting clover to invade your garden beds.
Beyond that, they don’t need a reason at all. Imposing one’s beliefs and opinions on a neighbour is the kind of intellectually stunted behaviour that we’re struggling with as a species.
I have 6 acres and deliberately seed all over with white and red clover as a cover crop. Never had a problem with it choking out anything, it's easily managed.
Crab grass and creeping charlie is the problem here. Chokes out everything else.
Maybe it's climate/region dependent, but clover is probably one of the most innocuous things growing here. Fixes nitrogen, is kind of pretty if left to flower, and attracts pollinators.
It would be nice if clover was just kind of the de facto standard.