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Cooking is my thing and as I get older with less people to cook for I sure do miss it. I love the flavors that can be married with the foods I am cooking and to me it has always been instinctive for some reason. I never knew much about herbs and spices, but over 60 years of cooking has given me a load of information in the attic of my brain.
Currently there are about 8 types of culinary thymes that I know of and have used. Some of them I have grown in the gardens of the various homes I have lived in.
If you do not have a garden spot for herbs right outside your kitchen door then consider growing some pots of them on your kitchen window ledge.
Two good thymes for container growing and for any cooking recipes that calls for Thyme are HiHo Silver Thyme and Silver Thyme. These Thymes are both fragrant and have a lovely green growth that grows to about 12 inches. These perennials will do well from zones 4 to 11 and when they flower will have a nice pink flower. They require full sun and are water conserving. They dry well also and I have covered how to dry herbs in one of my other articles.
The last time I was in the Western Mediterranean area I came across a lovely English Thyme or Garden Thyme. In Germany the locals call it German Winter Thyme and in France they call it French Summer Thyme. However, it is just simply Thyme. I have some growing here in Zone 6 and it is hardy to zone 5 growing to 12 inches in height, loves full sun, is drought tolerant and produces a lovely pink flower. This Thyme is not only a good cooking herb it is a medicinal one and has a great fragrance and is a good ornamental plant.
Another good windowsill Thyme is Lemon Thyme which though it looks and grows like English Thyme has a distinct lemon smell and tastes just like lemon. I use it in any recipe that calls for lemon flavoring, lemon zest or lemon juice. This is an aggressive perennial and grows like a weed so you really will never run out of it. If you are marinating chicken or fish then this is a good Thyme to add to your marinade. It also is hardy to zone 5 growing to 12 inches in height, loves full sun, is drought tolerant and produces a lovely pink flower.
Orange Balsam Thyme is a deviation of English Thyme and also is hardy to zone 5 growing to 12 inches in height, loves full sun, is drought tolerant and produces a lovely pink flower having a great pungent flavor and scent. Each year, once it blooms, cut it back by about a third and it will give you lots of growth for many years to come.
Caraway Thyme can be used as a substitute in any recipe that calls for Caraway seed. This plant only grows to about 4 inches high and can be grown from zone 5 to 11. This is a great perennial that has a lovely pink flower, loves the sun, is drought resistant and is not only good for cooking, but as a ground cover or an ornamental. As a ground cover it is one of the few types of Thyme that has a lovely scent and the fragrance is caraway! Plant it where you do not mind it becoming aggressive because it is an aggressive plant.
Pennsylvania Dutch Tea Thyme is a 1 foot high perennial with large oval, dark green leaves make a lovely strong flavored tea. Its scented leaves mix well with other herbs and you can use this herb either dried or fresh. Though a tall plant it will do well in a container on a sunny windowsill or on your patio that gets good sun. This herb makes a good substitute for any recipe calling for English Thyme.
Italian Oregano Thyme is a 12 inch high perennial that blooms a lovely pink flower in early spring and once the blooms are gone you will need to prune it back to six or eight inches and you will be rewarded with fresh usable growth. Again this herb requires full sun, is drought resistant, and will go well in basically any Italian recipe you have.
So take some time to plant some Thyme in your garden or in some pots for your windowsill.
“Tread the Earth Lightly” and in the meantime… May your day be filled with…
Peace, Light and Love,
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries and to take a walk through her pictorial garden or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books, including her new book, “The ABC’s of Wine and Beer Making”. Many of her articles written for Greenthumbarticles have paintings she has created of the subject and they can be seen at her “How to Do It” site. Remember to check out her artwork, especially of her fruits and vegetables. Many of her paintings are sold internationally and many of her works of art have been reproduced on note cards, post cards and other functional items and you can get Giclee prints of her artwork starting as low as $11.89 Arlene says, “All my royalties from the sale of my books, art, etc. go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my sites.”
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