The Big and the Small of It
Slower growing thymes for in between
stepping stones and flagstones include Annie Hall, Elfin Thyme,
Leprechaun Thyme, Silver Needle Thyme,
Pink Chintz Thyme, Mint Thyme,
Woolly Thyme, White Moss
Thyme and
Highland Cream Thyme.
Elfin Thyme
and Leprechaun Thyme
are very small and very flat (about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch tall). They are
the slowest growing of this group and are the logical choices for those two inch spots.
They bloom very little which help them to remain closer to the ground.
Pink Chintz Thyme , Mint Thyme and
Annie Hall Thyme are slightly taller (1 to 2
inches with the flowers) but have the distinction of putting on a spectacular
flowering show. Pink Chintz blooms very early in spring, followed by Mint Thyme,
with Annie Hall blooming well into the summer.
Woolly Thyme and White Moss
Thyme (sometimes
called Creeping White Thyme) are also slower growing, very flat and do well between stones
where space is cramped. Woolly Thyme is the most silver leaved of all the
Thymes and never blooms,
while White Moss Thyme is a lovely chartreuse with little white flowers in late
spring.
Highland Cream Thyme
is our variegated stepping stone filler. Leaves of soft cream and green make
this tiny thyme a must have for brightening up dark stones. In hot summer areas,
it prefers afternoon shade.
Silver Needle
Thyme has the most unique leaf structure and grows flat enough to make a
good flagstone filler.
Faster growing, wider spreading thymes more suitable for large spaces include Pink Lemonade Thyme,
Doone Valley Thyme,
Goldtream Thyme,
Creeping
Pink, Caraway Thyme,
Lemon Frost Thyme,
Lavender Thyme,
Loveyanus Thyme,
Reiter's Thyme, Hall's
Woolly Thyme and Coconut
Thyme.
Of these large space thymes those that are lowest and most
suitable for areas that you want to look more like a lawn are Pink Lemonade,
Goldstream, Creeping Pink, Lemon Frost, Reiter's,
Hall's Woolly and Coconut.
Caraway Thyme is the fastest
growing but it does have a pillowy mounding habit instead of a "looks
like a lawn" habit. It can be walked on and is extremely rugged. It
cascades nicely down hillsides that aren't too steep. Caraway
Thyme is the only culinary Ground Cover Thyme in the bunch.
Lavender
Thyme will spread like a ground cover but it does get taller and is
more suitable for areas that need cover but don't get walked on too much.
Doone Valley
Thyme is one of our favorite ground cover thymes but
again it is a bit taller at about four inches with flowers.
Loveyanus Thyme is amazingly beautiful in large spaces.
It has the largest flower of all the thymes and works well planted with other
ground covers like Erigeron and
Creeping Golden Marjoram.
Flowers Are Fun But...
Most Ground Cover Thymes, but not all, bloom
for about three to four weeks between mid spring to mid summer. Pink
Lemonade wins the "blooms the longest" award. It waves its lovely
pink blooms throughout the growing season. On the other end of the bloom
spectrum is Woolly Thyme
which does not bloom at all. (Don't confuse Woolly Thyme with Hall's
Woolly Thyme which blooms profusely).
Obviously if most ground cover thymes
bloom for only a short period of time it is may be more important to
consider the different colors of the leaves. These run from very dark green,
like Goldstream and Lemon Frost, to chartreuse, like White Moss Thyme. |