Almost every garden owner owns a more or less green lawn - and often curses when it's time to mow again. A so-called scented lawn is a great alternative, especially in small gardens and in places that are difficult for lawnmowers to access - it traditionally comes from England and has been cultivated there as "scented lawn" for several centuries. Some ground-covering varieties of thyme are also suitable for this purpose.
Ground-covering thyme varieties
Wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is particularly suitable for planting scented lawns. Varieties such as the purple-flowered "Magic Carpet", the white-flowered "Albus" or the pink-flowered carpet thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus) are characterized by a creeping growth habit. Furthermore, lemon and caraway thyme are also well suited for this type of planting. The thyme varieties mentioned usually only reach growth heights of between two and a maximum of five centimeters and form a dense, usually hard-wearing lawn.
Planting of a thyme scented lawn
Creeping thyme should be planted about 15 to 20 centimeters apart. Like all other types of thyme, the thyme lawn needs a sunny location with lean, preferably sandy soil. A place in the semi-shade or under a large tree, on the other hand, is not very suitable. The young plants are planted in the spring and grow into a dense carpet within a growing season. Since most thyme varieties are now hardy, nothing should stand in the way of spending the winter outdoors - possibly with protective brushwood.
What does "tough" actually mean?
Don't be misled by descriptions such as "tough" or "walkable" - these terms simply mean that while you can walk on your thyme lawn occasionally, you won't be able to use it as intensively as a lawn. You can quickly see heavy use of the scented lawn, as they form real streets according to the directions you walk. In order to avoid this unsightly effect, it is better to create a path with the help of stepping plates - if the lawn is to be walked on.
tips and tricks
Thyme is a willow that is often used by bees and bumblebees. For this reason, you should refrain from walking barefoot over your thyme lawn or even sitting down on it, especially during the flowering period.
IJA