Shamrocks, Clovers and St Patricks Day!
17/03/2022Product Updates All Posts
Happy St Patrick's Day!
Traditionally, shamrocks have been used as a symbol of Ireland, and are the most widely recognised symbol for St Patrick's Day (March 17th).
Some use the term clover in reference to St Patrick's Day (though not by the Irish - sorry if we ever got it wrong!) - so what's the difference between a clover and a shamrock - and why are we talking about them, anyway??
Here's a bit about both clovers and shamrocks...
A clover must have three leaves to be considered a shamrock. If the clover has more or less, then it is not a shamrock. Hence, all shamrocks are clovers, but not all clovers are shamrocks. Simple, eh?!
Believed to be a Celtic charm, four-leaf clovers were used for magical protection from evil spirits and to repel bad luck. The leaves of the clover stands for faith, hope, luck and love. So if you find a 4 leafed clover, you should be in for some luck (or perhaps love....either way is good!)!
Another fact of the clover is that many small animals just love it - which is why we're interested in this lovely plant! Both flower and leaf can be consumed. And if you've ordered from us this last week, you may have found a sample of our lovely clover for your little ones to try. Yum!
Clover is rich in nutrients and reputed to help with bone, digestive and respiratory health, and be beneficial with inflammatory issues too.
It's a very natural addition to many small animals diets in the wild, as it grows amongst grass and is easy and tasty to eat.
Fortunately for our domesticated friends, The Hay Experts clover, available in 100g bags, is also readily available! It can be fed as a treat, or mixed with hay or other foods for foraging fun.
Clover is high in fibre too, and whilst we'd recommend it being fed sparingly to any who have bladder, kidney or known calcium issues, it is a very good, and enjoyable forage to munch on, with many other benefits too.
If you weren't lucky enough to find a sample in your most recent order, no worries! Just add a note in with your next order, and we'll pop a sample in for your little ones to try!