Thyme suitable for lawns

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33448, 1 February 1974, Page 19

Thyme suitable for lawns

Grass is not the only plant suitable for a lawn: thyme is another. Thyme lawns retain a fragrance throughout the year and provide delicate but excellent colour from late spring into summer. They are drought resistant, withstand hot sun and drying winds, and minimal maintenance is necessary once they are established. However they will not tolerate heavy and constant traffic.

Thyme is a perennial which comes from the Mediterranean region. The common thyme is Thymus vulgaris, one of the commonest of the culinary herbs. It is not suitable for lawn use, as it grows too tall and bushy, but it can be used for edging. ■

Of the numerous species suitable for lawns some are slow growing and rather compact in habit, while others develop more quickly and are more spreading. When planning your planting scheme it pays to either restrict selection to those which have similar growth characteristics, or plant just one species. Much is dependant on the extent and type of planting envisaged. Quick-growing species of thyme, which should be planted about two feet apart, include:

Thymus serpullum citriodorus querus, golden or lemon thyme, a pleasantly lemon-scented thyme with almost variegated foliage and purple flowers. T. serpyllum coCcineus, which grows three inches high and has dark green foliage and crimson flowers. This slower growing, compact thyme should be planted about a foot apart. Thymus langinosus, wool-

ly thyme, has tiny woolly leaves and forms a thick grey matt of growth with lilac-coloured flowers which appear in summer; a dark green dwarf plant. T. herba barona is known as caraway thyme because of the caraway-scented dark green leaves it bears. Pink flowers are borne on arching stems.

T. serpyllum albus is a real miniature of very prostrate growth habit, with shiny dark green leaves and white flowers.

There are other cultivars, but the greatest selection may be available only from stockists who specialise in rock and alpine plants.

Good drainage, a sunny position and ordinary nonacid soil are all the requirements demanded by thyme. Where lime has not been added to the ground in recent years at least 4oz per square yard should be incorporated well before planting. All species and cultivars are tolerant of hard cutting back.