Creeping Thyme - Thymus serpyllum L.
100 Seeds
Sow March - May
Hardy perennial.
Height 3cm (1in), spread 80cm (32in).
Prefers a light, dry, well-drained soil on a warm, sunny site.
Sow the seeds indoors in spring. Sow in a seed tray of soil-less compost. Cover the tiny seeds with finely sieved compost. Keep at 20°C until germination. Prick out when large enough (from July to October) and grow on in small pots. Creeping thyme prefers light, well drained soil in full sun. Add lime if required.
This small, shrub like plant has numerous square, green-brown stems, which become woody in the second season. The thin, green leaves are very aromatic and covered in fine hairs. The small white, pink, mauve or purple flowers appear early to mid-summer. Grow as a lawn for moderate pedestrian traffic. Attractive to bees and butterflies.
Thyme - Creeping
Also known as Breckland thyme, Breckland wild thyme, Wild thyme, or Elfin thyme.
From the family Lamiaceae.
A native to Europe and the Mediterranean region, this is a genus comprising numerous species that are very diverse in appearance and come from many different parts of the world. Thymus is derived from the the Greek word 'thymon', meaning courage. Roman soldiers bathed in thyme water to give themselves vigour. They also used it to purify and fumigate their rooms. In the Middle Ages, European ladies embroidered a sprig of thyme on tokens for their knights errant. It was also said that drinking it was part of a ritual to enable one to see fairies. The powerful antiseptic and preservative porperties were well known to the Egyptians, who used it for embalming.