Thyme as a firm ground cover

Thyme as a firm ground cover

Ground-covering thyme varieties

The sand thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is particularly suitable for a fragrant lawn plantation. Varieties such as the purple-flowered “Magic Carpet”, the white-flowered “Albus” or the pink-flowered carpet thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus) are characterized by a creeping habit. Lemon and caraway thyme are also well suited for this type of planting. The thyme varieties mentioned usually only reach heights of between two and a maximum of five centimeters and form a dense, usually hard-wearing lawn.

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Planting a thyme fragrant lawn

Creeping thyme should be planted about six to eight inches apart. Like all other thyme varieties, the thyme lawn also needs a sunny location with poor, preferably sandy soil. A place in partial shade or under a large tree, however, is not very suitable. The young plants are planted in spring and grow together to form a thick carpet within one growing season. Since most thyme varieties are now hardy, nothing should stand in the way of wintering outdoors - if necessary with protective brushwood.

What does “step-resistant” actually mean?

Do not be misled by descriptions such as “non-slip” or “walkable” - these terms simply mean that you can step on your thyme lawn occasionally, but not use it as intensively as a lawn. You can quickly see that the fragrant lawns are used a lot, as they form real streets according to your walking directions. To avoid this unsightly effect, if the lawn is to be walked on, it is better to create a path with the help of step plates.

Tips & Tricks

Thyme is a pasture that bees and bumblebees like and often use. For this reason, you should avoid walking barefoot over your thyme lawn or even sit on it, especially during the flowering period.

IJA