![]() ![]() Pruning of the stems is recommended to maintain their appearance. It will remain evergreen during mild winters. The plant requires very little maintenance. It is intolerant of wet or poorly drained soils. The plant does well in sandy or rocky soils. The species name, praecox, is Latin and means "very early." This may refer to its early flowering.Ĭreeping thyme performs best in full sun and well-drained soils. The word "thyme" may also have been derived from the Greek word thymos, meaning "perfume." The plants of this genus are typically fragrant. In the past, thyme was thought to have been an emblem of bravery. I’ve used Kurapia as a lawn alternative in a small, simple garden for its clean, tidy look.Phonetic Spelling THY-mus PRAY-koks DescriptionĬreeping thyme is a low-growing, creeping, woody-based perennial.in the Lamiaceae (mint) family native to Greenland, Europe, and Turkey. The origin of the word "thyme" is from the Greek word thumos, which means courage. ![]() This is an incredibly versatile groundcover. It can be irrigated using high-efficiency sprinklers or underground drip irrigation. From May to November it has small white flowers. It can be grown in full sun to part shade and can withstand light foot traffic. (Yep, that’s 60%!) It has a very tight and dense growth habit reaching only 1 – 3” high, making mowing optional. This is my new favorite groundcover! This drought-tolerant lawn alternative can use up to 60% less water than traditional turf grass. Once established (give it regular water during the first six months), it then becomes extremely drought tolerant. During its first season, put a layer of mulch in the “blank” areas to keep the soil moist and inhibit weed growth. Thyme is not available as rolls, so instead you purchase it in flats and then separate it into pieces, and plant them about 6 – 8” apart. Wooly Thyme ( Thymus pseudolanuginosus) – light pink flowers.Red Creeping Thyme ( Thymus praecox ‘Coccineus’) – spectacular magenta pink flowers.Bressingham Thyme ( Thymus doerfleri ‘Bressingham’) – dusty-pink flowers.White Elfin Thyme ( Thymus serphyllum ‘Albus’) – little white flowers.Elfin Thyme ( Thymus serphyllum) – lovely lavender pink flowers.Here are a few good choices for a lawn replacement, but feel free to experiment! You can even put Culinary Thyme ( Thymus vulgaris) and/or Variegated Lemon Thyme ( Thymus x citriodorus ‘Variegata’), which are taller varieties, along the edges. Select just one or combine several together. There are many different varieties of Thyme you could use as your “stepable” groundcover with different flower colors. ![]() Once established, it requires little water and no mowing.Ī mixture of several different types of Thyme creates a drought-tolerant lawn substitute. It can tolerate light foot traffic once it is established, and as you walk on it, the foliage releases its terrific fragrance! Thyme likes full sun, warm temperatures, and well-drained soil. It has teeny olive-green leaves and will be covered with small flowers in the summer. This low-growing, creeping plant is commonly used in between flagstone stepping stones, but it is vigorous enough that it will rapidly fill in an entire area. Thyme is a drought-tolerant groundcover you can use to replace a small lawn. I love using these native sods as a lawn replacement by leaving the grass long so the 10 – 12” blades flop over creating undulating, green “waves.” Learn more about how I used Native Mow Free™ sod to replace a traditional lawn in a landscape design project I did in Cupertino. This variety can be left long for a meadow look or kept short – 2″ to 3” high – for a more traditional lawn look. The other native sod grass is Native Bentgrass™ and it has a medium-sized leaf blade. This meadow-like lawn adds a wonderful textural element to the garden. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |