![]() Step on it and it will release its beautiful scent. It's a spreading evergreen, good for edging paths as well as using to fill gaps in between pavers. The small dark leaves are tinged with silver and it's covered with tiny pink flowers in summer. 'Silver Queen' – best variegated option.Great for paving ideas as you can grow it between paving where it will release its lovely scent when trodden on. The deep pink flowers are highly attractive to bees. This is an excellent choice for a thyme carpet and forms a flat mat of glossy leaves. Keep an eye on the soil though to make sure it doesn't dry out. This grows happily in pots for years but will do equally well in the garden. It's a great option as one of the best edging plants for a path too. When deadheaded and trimmed back after flowering it quickly leafs up then flowers again. It flowers much earlier than other thyme varieties and for longer. This is good for the kitchen and has a lovely taste. Keep snipping the leaves for culinary use and to keep the plant tidy. With a lovely citrusy scent and transformative powers when it comes to adding it to your cooking, this is a firm favourite. Or try lemon and orange scented thyme varieties, or even thyme fragranced with caraway. You can also get variegated varieties where the leaves are shot through with silver or gold. There is a huge variety of thyme plants to choose from including the common garden variety (thymus vulgaris) with its pretty dark green foliage and mauve flowers. Water to keep the compost moist, and feed with liquid plant food every two weeks from April to August.(Image credit: Jonathan Buckley/Sarah Raven) Thyme is an excellent plant for growing in containers and requires no particular attention. Thyme is virtually free of pests and disease, although they are occasionally attacked by greenfly. The thyme sprigs can be frozen or dried - both methods retain the original flavour. In winter the plants stop growing, so harvest only lightly. Harvesting can occur all year round, although the best flavour is in the months of mid-June and mid-July. Thyme will start to become woody and produce fewer leaves after three or four years, and at this stage, the plant should be separated (as described in propagation above) and replanted. If organic matter is not available, a handful of bonemeal per plant in mid-May and July will meet their needs. A good mulch with organic matter in October time will help protect them from severe frost and will also provide most of their feeding needs. Thyme requires very little attention - water only in very dry conditions and feed sparingly. Harvest only very, very lightly (if at all) in the first year. They have a spread of about 30cm (12in) and should be spaced at this distance apart. When the plants are about 10cm (4in high) and the danger of all frost has passed, they can be moved outside to their final position (harden them off first). Place them in a warm place, 16C (60F), and the seedlings will emerge in week or so. Because the seeds are so fine, only cover them very lightly with the compost. Seed should be sown in March time in normal potting compost. They should be ready for moderate harvesting in early July time. The pieces (each should have a portion of root and foliage) can then simply be planted in the ground and left to grow. Dig up the plant, clear away as much soil as possible from the roots and gently tear the the plant into three or four pieces. Roots should be divided in April using plants three or four years old. The best way for speed is to grow from root division. The best way if you have no existing plants is to grow from seed. Thyme can be propagated in a variety of ways - seed, root division and from cuttings. Being a native of the Mediterranean it needs a place in full sun. Companion Planting These plants are good neighbors. Ensure that plants are spaced at around 12 to 24 inches apart, depending on the specific variety. Thyme likes a well-drained light soil, it should not be too rich in nutrients which will only make the plant 'leggy' and loose its compact shape. Thyme is known to grow quickly, especially the creeping cultivars. Sometimes it is grown between paving stones it is highly aromatic and when trodden on its scent is intensified.Ī native of Southern Europe, thyme is now grown the world over from Africa to Russia - it proves it's versatility and it certainly deserves a place in your garden. ![]() Thyme reaches a height of 30 cm (12in) and is best suited either to the rock garden or the front of a border. Sow seeds and lightly cover with Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix. On top of that it is one of the most useful herbs for the kitchen. How to grow thyme in a pot Choose a pot at least 300mm wide and deep. Its foliage is attractive, the long-lasting flowers are very pretty and it is a compact easy-care plant. Thyme deserves a place in all herb gardens.
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