Creeping thyme is a perennial evergreen that blooms with attractive and wonderfully fragrant purple flowers. Creeping thyme can be used for various purposes. It's a plant that stays low and, if in a good spot, is very tough so that it can even be walked on. It doesn't grow very fast, but it spreads and forms dense cushions, so it can also be used for larger pieces of ground cover. It's important, however, to make the conditions for the plant as good as possible. For tips, see the sowing instructions. Use the leaves of this thyme in sauces, stews, stir-fries, pasta dishes, soups, marinades, salads, with potato dishes, in dishes with egg (e.g. omelette) and in herb butter. Creeping thyme is also delicious with lamb, beef and cheese.
Place this plant in a sunny spot with good drainage and possibly limey soil. This ground cover is very attractive to bees. Also suitable for rock gardens. It flowers from June till August. Protect especially the young plants against frost by mulching them. Harvest the leaves from March till October from the 2nd year after sowing. Hardy perennial. Height: 5 - 10 cm, width 25 - 30 cm.
Indoor sowing: March - end of April or September - November
Outdoor sowing: middle of May - August
Germination: 15 - 30 days
Germination temperature: 13 - 20 °C
Sowing depth: shallow
Planting distance: 30 cm
Plant position: sunny with good drainage
Flowering period: June - August
Harvesting period: March - October (from the 2nd year after sowing)
If creeping thyme is going to be used to cover large areas, the best method is to sow the plants indoors and plant them outdoors, after a hardening off period of 10 - 15 days, later in the year when there's no more frost. To do this, sow the seeds in a plug tray with well moistened potting soil in spring or possibly in autumn. Sow the seeds shallowly and don't cover them with soil as they need light to germinate. Provide sufficient light, but don't place them in direct sunlight. Keep them well moist by covering them with e.g. cling film. Once a large proportion of the seeds have germinated, the cling film can be removed. As soon as the plants are big enough to handle, they can be planted outside when there is no more frost, or they can be re-potted in larger pots and grown further before being put outside. Remove the top leaves from each plant to ensure that the plants grow sideways rather than upwards. Keep the plants 30 cm apart. Provide a sunny spot with good drainage and lime-rich soil enriched with compost. Keep weed free and moist.
It's also possible to sow directly outdoors. This method is especially suitable if creeping thyme is used to fill small spots in a border or other small spaces. Sow the seeds from May until August outside in a sunny spot with good drainage and lime rich soil enriched with compost. Make sure no frost is expected. Because the seeds are very fine, it's useful to mix them with some sand so that the seeds can be spread more easily and you can see where you have sown them. Don't cover the seeds as they need light to germinate. Keep well weeded and moist. Once the seedlings are big enough to handle, thin them out to 30 cm. You can eventually put the thinned plants in another spot.
Cover the young plants in the winter months with mulch to prevent freezing. Don't cut the plants in the first year, but wait until the 2nd year to cut them carefully. Never cut too deep because thyme will not grow back if cut too deeply. Make sure that there are always new buds visible and don't cut under this new growth. Older plants can be dug up and divided from March till May.
