Most types of thyme grow upright and form semi-shrubs. However, there are also a number of varieties - either naturally occurring or specially bred - that stay very low and grow ground-covering. These cushion thymes are usually hard-wearing to a certain extent.
Benefits of Thyme as a Ground Cover
It used to be considered aesthetic to provide each plant in the border with some space around it, i. H. as an individual to draw. However, since bare earth usually does not remain bare, such a garden is a paradise for rampant weeds and is therefore very labour-intensive. For this reason, modern gardeners find it more useful to let groups of plants flow into one another, creating a green blanket. This type of ground cover keeps the weeds away, thus reducing the amount of work required for the borders considerably.
Appropriate Varieties
The different types of cushion-forming thyme usually remain quite low and reach heights of between two and ten centimeters. Over time, the fast-growing plants develop veritable mats that are almost impenetrable. Just like conventional types of thyme, the cushion thyme can also be used in the kitchen and as a medicinal herb. Thyme mats look particularly pretty between June and July, when the plants are in full bloom and form a dense, fragrant carpet of flowers.
- Thymus cherlerioides (custard or field thyme) is a turf-forming dwarf shrub native to the Balkan Peninsula and Crimea. It has strong violet to scarlet red flowers.
- Thymus praecox - numerous low-growing and cushion-forming varieties, e.g. B. Atropurpurea (lush violet flowers) or Minor (particularly flat and hardwearing)
Plant ground cover thyme
Ground covers compete with weeds and are therefore effective in controlling weeds. However, you need to give your desired ground-covering thyme plants a head start: place the plants in previously tilled, weed-free soil. Also, plant them through a plastic mulch - such as a plastic tarp perforated at regular intervals - and cover with gravel; you can reduce your garden weeds to a minimum and give your young plants a valuable growth advantage. You need about seven to ten thyme plants per square meter, which corresponds to a planting distance of between 20 and 25 centimeters.
Choose the right location
All thymes love a sunny spot in a dry, not too nutrient-rich soil - cushion thymes are of course no exception. For this reason, ground-covering thyme does not belong under shady trees, shrubs or perennials; However, it is very suitable for rock or gravel gardens as well as for planting on patio beds and embankments. Dry stone walls or troughs can also be greened with cushion thyme - then the plants grow slightly overhanging.
tips and tricks
Upholstery thyme is sure-footed, but by no means to the extent that conventional lawns are. For this reason, a herb lawn is mainly planted in places that are difficult for lawnmowers to access or should only be walked on rarely. It is not suitable for playing and romping. However, if your path regularly leads through it, you should create a flagstone path to protect the plants.
IJA