Improving clay soils - leaf mulch or green mulch (cover crops)?

Hi everyone,

I'm early in the process of transforming a suburban lot to a food forest. Zone 6b in SW Pennsylvania. Clay soils, ground bare except for english and poison ivy, and an assortment of weeds and grasses.

My goal is to improve the soil enough that I can start to lay down groundcover seeds to cover and protect the ground and allow the soil life to begin to transform it so that it can start supporting more life and more varied plants. My eventual goal is a mix of mostly fruit trees, native and permaculture shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers, including ephemerals.

Last year I spread three types of rock dust and humates. For the last couple of years I've been leaving the many oak tree leaves we have as mulch (most of the property is under a huge canopy of old oaks). Still, my sense is that I'm missing out by not seeding a mix of cover crops (clover, alfalfa, peas, etc...) to help break up and improve the clay soils. It would also provide some welcome greenery to absorb the coming spring rains (excess water is an issue in the spring) and shade the soil from the sun later this summer, and I also think a blanket of green would look better than all the brown leaves, especially to the neighbors.

There is the conflict between the clover and possibly other cover crops attracting deer while they improve the soil.  Bottom line I'm probably ok with this short-term.

So my question is: Do I need to choose between the existing leaf mulch and a green cover crop? How well are cover crop seeds likely to 'take' if broadcast into the mix of leaves and small vegetation? Am I better off raking up the leaves and revealing the bare soil in order to plant?  I don't know if I'm trying to put together two techniques which are mutually exclusive, or if I can do anything to benefit from both. Anyone have another solution?

Sorry if this seems simple or obvious. I thought I would check in with the great minds here, cause I am truly stuck. I'd prefer not to tear up all my leaf-building work, but perhaps cover crops will benefit me more than decaying leaves. Thoughts?

Also, while we are not in an HOA, all the surrounding neighbors have pretty conventional grass lawns and plantings. I have been ok so far with the unraked leaves and my branches used to delineate beds/zones, and I'm also ok with one season of possibly weedy-looking cover crops, but in general overall appearance is important and I'd like to start making good progress toward putting down a more attractive cover crop. We did have an insurance adjuster last year note that I had piles of brush ( I think he was referring to shrubs that had lost their leaves) near the house, so people do notice our yard and I'd prefer not to test their patience too much.

(Couple photos attached)