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We all know about Thyme (the kind we cook with) and there are not too many varieties of it. However, when it comes to ground covers and you are considering thyme you may well want to ask “What Thyme is it?”
You may well be asking yourself why I want to know what thyme it is when you think of using thyme as a ground cover and the answers are basically simple. The first answer is space because one needs to know the different kinds of ground covering thyme will do different things in your space. Large thymes will cover up your paving stones or walkways in a short period of time and their stems will spread out onto the paving that will leave behind stubs where you would want the ground cover to be. If you are covering up only a small bit of space then you do not want that kind of ground covering thyme.
The second answer is you need to know how thyme grows and thyme grows by spreading one set of its leaves to the next leaving a stem segment in between and this little stem or tact as it is called will determine exactly how wide the spread will be and how fast your ground covering thyme will grow. The plant will require more time and energy to produce the ground covering leaves than to create its stem segments.
The third answer is that ground covering thyme, being a very shallow rooted plant will die easily when first transplanted to the areas you want to cover especially in the hot summer sun so you need to make sure you keep the area moist but not sodden for it to successfully get started.
There are currently about 17 ground covering thymes that I am aware of and they range from 1 to 2 inches to taller ones that are 3 to 6 inches. I will discuss just the short ones in this article.
With hardiness up to zone 5 you can use Creeping Pink Thyme which is a nice water conserving ground cover which grows to the height of 1 to 2 inches, will tolerate full sun and give a lovely dark pink flower. Its leaves are very green and almost look like some kind of succulent. This ground cover is too large to use as a ground cover between your stepping stones but will do fairly nicely as a filling under your favorite tall plants or roses. It is a quick growing ground cover and will stay fairly flat.
If you have a tight space such as I have between paving stone and you want to create a striking effect then seriously consider Pink Chintz Thyme. This lovely ground cover has lovely light pink flowers with fuzzy green leaves and is also hardy up to zone 5. It too is water conserving and does well in full sun and I think that I am going to put in into a couple of my walkways next spring.
Should you have some borders that need fillers or stone or rock walls you want to dramatize then I recommend Woolly Thyme. Though it rarely flowers it is a good choice if you are allergic to bees (and if it should you will be delighted with its light pink flower) this water conserving, full sun, tightly knit, soft, silvery ground cover is hardy to zone 5. Planting this ground cover requires patience since it grows slowly, but it has its rewards. It can also die out in patches during droughts if you do not evenly water it at least once a week.
If you have a very small space to fill such as between closely set flag stone or paving stones then consider Elfin Thyme which grows 1 to 2 inches high. It is just about the smallest of the ground covering thymes and also one of the slowest growing. Again this also is hardy to zone 5, tolerates sun, conserves water and when it flowers it will display a small pink flower.
All these ground covers need at least 5 hours of sun each day. They all stay fairly flat.
So the next time you need a good ground cover, remember to ask “What Thyme is it?”
“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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