Creeping thyme: photo, care and planting of a plant

Thyme is a perennial creeping shrub. Covered with beautiful dense massifs. The stems have many branches on which the opposite leaves are located. The size of the leaves and purple with red flowers is very small. Bushes begin to bloom in June. And the fruits appear only by the end of August. Creeping thyme (thymus serpyllum coccineus) has another name familiar to us - thyme. It has many beneficial properties. It is also actively used in homeopathy.

The herb creeping thyme actively grows in the steppes in the south of the European part, in Siberia. And also in the Far East. Thyme is an unpretentious plant that is resistant to drought and cold.

Thyme (thyme) creeping: description of the plant

Creeping thyme: photo in landscape design

Creeping thyme is popular among gardeners. And not only for its beneficial properties and ease of growing creeping thyme. But also for decorativeness.

It is actively used to decorate rocky areas in the garden. They are framed by group landings. They make curbs from it and fill in free areas. Variegated forms will be perfectly combined with a variety having an anthocyanin color. Having created such an unusual border, it will look great even when the flowering period of creeping thyme is over.

The grass intended for lawns can be replaced with creeping thyme and this will be a very interesting solution. Thanks to the unpretentiousness of this plant, its pleasant aroma and unusual flowering, gardeners do not have to worry about the green massif in case of a long absence.

Creeping thyme is a strong and resistant plant. He is not afraid of prolonged drought and hot summer, he also calmly tolerates mechanical stress, which is probably why creeping thyme is often used by gardeners to establish boundaries between paths. Due to its lilac color, it makes the garden unusual and attracts attention. It would seem a completely simple plant that can decorate rockeries, rocky gardens and rock gardens.

What plants can be combined with Thyme creeping in the garden

Creeping thyme: photo in the flowerbed

Green herbs of creeping thyme are an excellent option for creating a background for many garden plants painted in bright colors. For example, peonies and chrysanthemums, roses and lilies, tulips and daffodils will look great against the background of noble greenery.

When making mixed borders, thyme can be planted as a creeping carpet between plants, or framed flower beds with it. It looks great with conifers, for example, with pine, spruce or thuja, as well as with low-growing varieties of juniper or dwarf pine.

In nature, there are varieties such as Japanese Thyme, Dorflera, Creeping Thyme, Siberian Thyme, Early Thyme. But scientists do not stop and every year they present more and more new varieties of creeping thyme. Today there are more than 100 different varieties in the world.

The most popular varieties among gardeners

What creeping thyme looks like: close-up photo

• Dorflera is a thermophilic early thyme variety that cannot tolerate cold. It is short and has a fluffy texture. When flowering begins, a thick carpet of small flowers painted in gray and framed by small leaves is formed.
• Siberian - this variety has very powerful, well-developed roots.Many colors dyed with deep pink color allow you to enjoy their beauty all summer months. They reproduce vegetatively.
• Japanese - this variety does not disregard gardeners. He is able to decorate any flower beds with his bright pink flowers and at the same time fill the garden with a pleasant aroma. It blooms for 21 days in the last summer month.
• Creeping - with the help of this variety, you can make a beautiful and dense curtain of green leaves, white and pink flowers.

Thyme propagation

The plant can be propagated using seeds, cuttings, through creeping thyme seedlings or dividing a bush.

Since creeping thyme seeds are very small in size, they should not be planted directly into the garden, a container must first be used. Before planting creeping thyme seeds, they must be mixed with sand so that they are evenly distributed over the surface of the earth. After the creeping thyme seeds are sown, the container must be covered with transparent film or glass.

If it is customary to plant cuttings of plants, this should be done in the summer so that the plant takes root, adapts and prepares for the winter cold.

To obtain a cutting, you need to cut off the top of the shoot about 10 centimeters long. Next, you need to plant a large container filled with river sand and cover with a transparent film. Within 4 weeks, the plant should be regularly watered with a spray bottle. Then it can be planted in open ground.

Thyme creeping: a place to plant

Herb creeping thyme: photo

Despite the fact that common creeping thyme is an unpretentious plant, it should not be deprived of attention at all.

Choose open, sunny areas where the soil is light and fertile. If the soil has a high level of acidity, then before planting the plant, it is necessary to reduce the acidity with dolomite flour, wood ash or slaked lime. To make the soil lighter, you need to add sand to it and dig up the area.

It is very important to clear the land of debris and weeds, as the plant will not be able to develop in the vicinity of them. Please note that thyme does not tolerate stagnant water, so it is better to increase the drainage of the soil by adding crushed stone or pebbles to the bottom of the planting hole; broken brick is also suitable.

Creeping thyme: planting by seeds

Seed planting of creeping thyme plants should take place in early spring. If transplantation is possible only at a later period, then pay attention that the seedling has a well-developed root system.

The soil is prepared after all the snow has melted. It is necessary to dig up the area well and add urea to the ground.

There is no need to prepare holes for seeds, they are sown on the surface of the soil and lightly sprinkled with river sand.

The distance between the beds should be about 40 centimeters or more, since the plant needs space for growth, which occurs quickly enough. Next, the beds must be covered with a film, thus creating a greenhouse effect and protecting the seeds from birds. After 14 days, after the first shoots, the film can be removed.

It is necessary to plant creeping thyme seeds for seedlings in mid-March and in the same way as in open ground. They do not need care. From the moment of planting the seeds to planting the seedlings of creeping thyme in the garden, 75 days should pass.

Creeping thyme: care for thyme

Creeping thyme: photo

Creeping thyme does not require special care, but it must be trimmed regularly. These works are carried out in the spring and autumn periods, at this time all branches are cut to their base. This method will help the plant grow densely and create the shape you need.

If you do not allow stagnant water, then the plant will be strong and have high immunity, able to cope with both diseases and pests.