Ground covers are easy-care surface fillers, decorative weed inhibitors and natural soil conditioners. In addition to all these advantages, there is another one: some of them are also flavorful kitchen refiners!
Thyme is a deliciously scented groundcover
Just fill areas? Boring!
You can get much more out of ground covers than just greening bare areas that are easy to care for. The real garden crack combines a few more useful things with this mundane main purpose. On the one hand, there is the possibility of protecting exposed embankments from erosion. Or to automatically keep the soil under shrubs and trees weed-free, moistened and nutrient-rich. Many ground covers with pretty flowers and/or an attractive leaf structure also have a high ornamental value.
A positive side effect that is not immediately associated with groundcover is the spice for the kitchen. Some low perennials, which are often used to fill areas or for rock gardens, are also tasty herbs - so why not kill two birds with one stone with pragmatic area greening and stock up on herbs at the same time?
Note location
The use of herb variants is particularly suitable for ground cover plantings in the garden - because if you want to benefit from the fresh spice in your daily cooking, you don't have to go far for the harvest. Of course, the site conditions of the area to be greened must be taken into account when selecting the herbal ground cover. Is it shady or sunny? Is the soil lean or rich in nutrients and humus? Here are a few suggestions for herb ground cover for different locations:
for sunny locations:
- Thyme: classic Mediterranean spice, many different varieties
- Eiskraut: as a crunchy salad garnish
- Nasturtium: Spicy addition to salad, buds and flowers are also edible
- Bachbunge: addition of lettuce, substitute for spinach, anti-inflammatory, blood-cleansing
- Gundermann/Gundelrebe: as a salad seasoning
- Himalayan knotweed: for anti-inflammatory teas
- Dost/Oregano: fine, Mediterranean spice
for shady locations:
- Wild garlic: green, fresh garlic substitute, for salads and pestos
- Woodruff: for May punch, syrup, liqueur, pudding
- Mint: for tea, as a salad herb, for extracts and oils
like lean soils:
- thyme
- ice cream
- oregano
need nutrient-rich soil
- wild garlic
- mint
- Woodruff (humos)
Many of the herb groundcovers mentioned have another advantage in the garden: some are so aromatic that they appeal to the sense of smell as soon as you walk by. Wild garlic in particular exudes its fine, leek aroma far and wide, and thyme, especially if it is cultivated over a large area, can provide a wonderfully spicy burst of fragrance when sitting on the terrace.