It has small pink flowers and is great as a garnish and in salads. This variety is also very winter-hardy, withstanding temps down to -30℉. It’s slightly less potent than English thyme, making it more of a versatile background flavor than the star. This is the variety I use most in my garden. German Thyme German Thyme is a versatile and winter-hardy variety, perfect for adding subtle flavor. It has a robust flavor popular in cooked dishes, especially used with meats and roasted veggies. It gets about 12 inches tall and wide, with light pink to lavender flowers adored by pollinators. Here are a few different varieties I recommend trying in your garden this season: English Thyme Common Thyme is a flavorful variety loved for its robust taste and attractive flowers, ideal for savory dishes.Ī yummy, earthy-tasting variety, also called Common Thyme. It comes in two main types, ornamental and culinary, though all are edible. Some are earthy, others smell like citrus, and some are grown for their colorful flowers. One of the best parts about thyme is its various aromatic and flavor profiles. A good potting mix amended with a layer of compost and a bit of horticultural sand or gravel will do nicely. Opt for sandy soil over heavy clay, as this aids in drainage. In fact, many gardeners plant ornamental varieties in dry areas between rocks where it spreads beautifully. Give it Good Soil Thyme is adaptable to various soil types but prefers sandy soil with good drainage. Go ahead and plant it anyway- you’ll likely still get plenty to harvest and enjoy. If you only have part shade, thyme will tolerate it but responds with slower growth. Translating this to your garden means putting your thyme in full sun for at least 6-8 hours per day.

Thyme originates in the Mediterranean, which has a hot and dry climate. When planting anything, it’s wise to keep its native habitat in mind. Choose the Right Site Plant thyme in full sun for 6-8 hours per day for optimal growth. If you’d like to harvest it all year, keep it in a portable pot and bring it indoors near a sunny window. It will go dormant in areas with cold winters and pop back up in spring. Thyme will stay evergreen in mild climates. If you have an unexpected cold snap just after planting, cover it with frost cloth or mulch the top with leaves. You can plant all the way up to early fall, provided you give your thyme at least a month of warmth before a new frost hits. It’s cold hardy down to zone 4 but it likes to get established in the garden before exposure to chilly temps. You can plant thyme starts in your garden in early spring after the danger of frost has passed. Plant at the Right Time Plant thyme in spring after frost, give it warmth before new frost hits. It looks good, could fit several plants for a compact herb garden, and doesn’t need any special tools to put together. If you have a smaller space to work with, try this Round Short Metal Bed. Unlike wood beds which can rot over time, these are made of long-lasting galvanized steel. If you’re looking for a larger bed, check out Birdies Metal Raised Garden Beds. I’ve been growing my thyme in a raised bed for a few years. They all like the same free-draining conditions, so amend with horticultural sand or perlite if the raised bed is filled with heavy soil.

Thyme is also excellent in raised beds with oregano, rosemary, lavender, and sage. Terracotta pots are nice, letting roots breathe, but any container letting water flow through will work nicely. If your container doesn’t have drainage holes, you can drill them yourself. Thyme naturally grows in gritty, rocky soils and needs good drainage. Drainage Thyme prefers well-draining soil and can be grown in containers with drainage holes. They’ll slowly grow together for a lovely thyme smorgasbord. If you’d like to grow multiple varieties, plant them in a wider pot or raised bed and space them 12 inches apart. You only need a container 6 inches deep and 12 inches in diameter to grow one nice plant. Thyme is a slow grower with shallow roots. Keep these considerations in mind when choosing a container: Size Thyme has shallow roots and can be grown in a 6-inch deep, 12-inch diameter container. Depending on the variety, thyme will grow between 3-12 inches tall and 12-15 inches wide over time. All types of thyme stay pretty compact, but they can spread a bit (definitely a good thing in this case).

Old english thyme