Where to Buy
Stargazer Perennials: Online nursery specializing in pesticide-free plants, thyme, perennials and herbs.
Farm Fresh Living: Large selection of culinary thyme and ornamental thyme.
Popular thyme varieties for home gardens:
Farm Fresh Living: Large selection of culinary thyme and ornamental thyme.
Popular thyme varieties for home gardens:
- Mother of Thyme
- Elfin Miniature Thyme
- Wooley Thyme
- Doone Valley Thyme
How To Grow Thyme
Thymus is a large genus containing over 350 species of both ornamental and culinary thyme. Thyme is a well-known herb and perennial garden plant that has many culinary uses including an essential flavoring with meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes. In addition, a charming garden plant that is also drought tolerant and deer resistant. Plant thyme in rock gardens, in containers, in an herb garden, between stepping stones or flagstone, draped over a hot garden wall or an edging in perennial beds and borders.
Instructions For Planting
- While you can grow thyme from seeds for best results and largest selection of varieties, purchase plants from a nursery or grower either in 3.5-inch pots or in 1-gallon containers.
- Select a sunny garden location with well-drained soil. Once established thyme is semi-drought tolerant, and does not like to grow in standing water or damp soil.
- Remove the plant from the container and trim off the bottom 1 inch of roots with sharp pruners or a serrated knife. Fluff-up the roots to encourage new root growth once planted.
- Dig a hole similar in size to the container which the plant came in.
Place the thyme in the planting hole and fill any air gaps with soil. Lightly tamp soil down around the base of the plant. Water thoroughly once planted. - Side dress newly planted plants with a light layer of mulch or bark.
- Space plants approximately 6 inches to 18 inches apart depending on variety. For texture and color, plant three different varieties together. Combinations that work well together are Woolley Thyme, Doone Valley Thyme, and Bressingham Creeping Thyme.
- During the summer trim thyme to promote new foliage growth and to keep it looking tidy and neat. Culinary varieties such as Doone Valley Thyme and Archer's Gold - Lemon Thyme can be planted with ornamental varieties and trimmed as desired for cooking.
