Only grows to four inches across and slow-growing. It’s a creeping ornamental variety with tiny leaves and petite lilac flowers. I really want to add this type to my fairy garden. Produces attractive flowers which bees love. Also known as mother-of-thyme, it grows in low mounds or clumps. Creeping ThymeĪnother ornamental variety prized for rock gardens. It only gets four inches tall and has gray, slightly fuzzy leaves, hence the name. This variety is a creeper, prized for rock gardens and in between pavers. Great for on the deck in summer and in a sunny window during the winter. You can grow it indoors to enjoy thyme all year. Small silvery leaves give it the nickname moonlight thyme. Juniper thyme grows upright to only six inches tall, which makes it ideal as a container plant. It looks beautiful along pathways and has a fresh scent.Ĭaraway thyme can be used as a substitute for caraway and blends nicely with roasted meats and baked in bread. With reddish stems and pretty pink flowers, this is an attractive variety that is both culinary and ornamental. It tolerates cold well and can be grown in planting zones 4 -11. Lemon thyme is an upright form with attractive, variegated leaves that have a rich, lemony scent. To verify that it’s the type you want, look for the scientific name Thymus vulgaris. This variety is sometimes referred to as common or German thyme. It’s an upright grower fit for zones 5-9. This is easily the most popular variety and the one we most associate with cooking. Mountain Valley Growers offers a diverse selection. You can find the more common ones at your local nursery, but if you go online you’ll find more options. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use culinary varieties to add some color to your garden. Ornamental varieties are often the ones we plant in rock gardens. Thyme comes in ornamental and culinary varieties. Harvest: Harvest leaves and flowers as you need them, 105 days after planting.Common Problems: Alternaria leaf spot, root rot, botrytis rot, aphids, spider mites.Fertilizing: Not necessary in fertile soils, you may apply low-nitrogen fertilizer before planting.

Watering: Water regularly to keep the soil moist, especially during dry periods.Worst Companions: Oregano, onion, garlic, marjoram, turnip.Best Companions: Cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, brussels sprouts, strawberry, eggplant.Spacing: 6 to 12 inches between plants and 16 to 24 inches between rows.Planting: Sow seeds outdoors in early spring, 2 to 3 weeks before the last frost date.Soil: Loamy, sandy, pH between 5.5 and 7.0, well-drained, rich in organic matter.

Elfin thyme