Dicots like clover encourage stink bugs and tarnished plant bug- Mowed grass doesn't take too much water if you keep it low, clover actually takes more as I understand it. There are special orchard grass seed mixes which consist of less competitive grasses.

If you plant something besides grass, be sure it doesn't blossum when fruit trees must be sprayed, unless you're doing a Surround program.

I love ground cover Comfrey, Symphytum grandiflorum. It is one of the few ground covers that is tougher than grass, requires no care, no weed whacking, I can find dropped fruit in it fairly easily, and it blooms in the spring.

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Nancy