Once I’m trying on the areas between stepping stones in my backyard, I typically marvel what one of the best creeping thyme garden would include. It might be beautiful to have a verdant, vibrant carpet of flowering herbs rising gracefully between every stone, filling within the space and defending the soil beneath it.
Creeping thyme isn’t one of the best for cooking, as Thymus vulgaris (frequent thyme) accommodates extra oils that perform finest in a culinary setting. However the forms of creeping thyme (from the species Thymus serpyllum) provide the drought tolerance and fast protection that make it a great garden substitute.
Establishing a thyme garden takes effort and time. However it’s price it if you wish to change your garden with a extra eco-friendly various. Begin by eradicating all of the turfgrass, and amend the naked soil with well-rotted compost. Then plant thyme plugs at the least eight inches aside, and not more than that. This ensures your vegetation fill within the empty areas rapidly and blocks any weeds from rising between.
One be aware earlier than we get began: thyme is poisonous to pets and livestock. Plant judiciously you probably have curious animals in your neighborhood. Use fencing the place needed.
The flowers appeal to bees and butterflies, and supply shelter to different bugs. One superior advantage of all of the varieties on this checklist is their resistance to deer and rabbits, preferring to feed on much less aromatic foliage. In optimum circumstances, this species reproduces by way of layering as stems contact the bottom and type adventitious roots.
For this plant, it wants a while (no pun supposed) to determine within the backyard. Preserve it between stepping stones and out of foot site visitors areas for one of the best progress. Keep on high of weeding at first, and also you’ll have the attractive carpet of aromatic flowers and foliage you labored for firstly of the 12 months.
Purple Creeping Thyme
 | botanical title Thymus (Coccineus Group) |
|---|---|
 | solar necessities Full solar |
 | top 2-4” |
 | hardiness zones 5-9 |
Whereas creeping thyme brings in pink and lavender flowers, crimson creeping thyme provides a splash of crimson to the yard. It has an analogous top to the straight species and gives the most effective creeping thyme garden alternate options you will discover. The dense leaves fill in areas slowly at first, however take off inside a 12 months or so.
This recipient of the 1993 Award of Backyard Advantage from the Royal Horticultural Society brings all of the tolerances and resistances of its mum or dad, together with the perfume and attractiveness to pollinators and helpful bugs. It’s particularly helpful on slopes and banks the place erosion is a matter.
Thymus serpyllum ‘Magic Carpet’
| | botanical title Thymus serpyllum ‘Magic Carpet’ |
|---|---|
| | solar necessities Full solar |
| | top 1-2” |
| | hardiness zones 4-9 |
If you would like one thing extra vivid than common creeping thyme or crimson creeping thyme, ‘Magic Carpet’ is a superb alternative. It’s an distinctive possibility for rocky, sloped areas that don’t obtain a variety of moisture all year long. Areas in full solar are finest for this hardy and resilient plant.
‘Magic Carpet’ gives blooms that surpass different thymes in that they’re completely sensible. The deep fuchsia coloring makes floor cowl look spectacular in summer time, and this impact stays by means of autumn.
This one grows decrease, too, which is nice in areas the place an excessive amount of top creates a necessity for extra upkeep. You’ll be able to keep away from that altogether with this one to two-inch tall magnificence.
Thymus serpyllum ‘Pink Chintz’
| | botanical title Thymus serpyllum ‘Pink Chintz’ |
|---|---|
| | solar necessities Full solar |
| | top 1-2” |
| | hardiness zones 4-9 |
We’ve lined the daring, however now let’s focus on the extra refined beauties of the creeping thyme world. ‘Pink Chintz’ is among the many different finest creeping thyme garden varieties, providing a splash of salmon or gentle pink that blooms barely sooner. As an alternative of a mid-summer flush, flowers emerge in late spring to early summer time.
The leaves differ barely when in comparison with different creeping thymes as effectively. As an alternative of deep inexperienced, barely waxy leaves, ‘Pink Chintz’ gives a contact of silvery inexperienced, verging on gray. The leaves are barely fuzzy, and the plant brings a way of calm to gardens the place daring colours could already dominate.
Thymus serpyllum ‘Elfin’
| | botanical title Thymus serpyllum ‘Elfin’ |
|---|---|
| | solar necessities Full solar |
| | top 1-3” |
| | hardiness zones 4-9 |
What units ‘Elfin’ aside from the others on this checklist is its tight, compact behavior and light-weight pink to lavender blooms that cowl the stretch of its rising space. Whereas others could develop into unruly after they set up themselves within the backyard, ‘Elfin’ is simpler to comprise and stays a lot tidier.
That makes it a great possibility for gardeners who don’t need to spend a bunch of time reducing again their various garden. In case your local weather is very similar to the native creeping thyme local weather, ‘Elfin’ will behave greater than others listed right here. When you trim yours after its first flush of blooms, it should push out one other earlier than the primary frost.