Hi, Karen...I have sprouts with my Creeping Thyme seeds. They were sown on 1/21, and I first saw the sprouts about two weeks later. They seem to be growing slowly, not sure if that's normal? Our weather here has varied wildly--temps can be anywhere from 20 to 80 within a 48-hour span. Oh, and I got my seeds from www.crosmanseed.com...great prices, fast service.

There are some sedums that grow just fine in part shade. All are evergreen. The one I like the best has long blooming small yellow flowers on stalks towering over (up to only about 4") this low growing prolific dark green sedum in the spring. Sedum sexangulare looks like a miniature conifer forest to me. Another one is Sedum lineare that prefers some shade since it cooks in the full sun. It has pale green pointy leaves with white striped edges that would match the variegated Lirope. It doesn't exactly form a flat mat though. Others are: Sedum requieni - a look-alike to Creeping Thyme without the fragrance but I think it needs mostly sun; Sedum makinoi (needs part shade) can be finicky; and Sedum orysifolium 'Taitogome' (sun or shade) which is a true mat but is a very pale green (with white flowers early summer) - that one is my second favorite and might blend nicely with your Liriope. Blue Star Creeper is an evergreen that might also be acceptable in part shade. It does need some sun to bloom - which is off and on from Spring to Fall. Its redeeming factor is that is has very pretty leaves - but it can get out of control by doing its job -- being a ground cover. Spectacular in bloom - especially 'Dark Blue'. It is sold as either Laurentia or Isotoma as the scientific name. Mazus repens is a partly evergreen matting groundcover that has lovely tiny pale lilac flowers every so often. There is also a white form. This one forms a loose trailing mat of medium green and is easily controlled, however I let it wander where it wants to especially around and over pebbles and stones. Nancy the nancedar

Hi Lorna, I have creeping thyme and wooly thyme. The regular creeping time does much better for me and spreads really fast. I started with one 4 inch pot years ago and have given tons away and have had to chop back lots over the years. The wooly thyme spreads much slower and I don't find it as pretty when it flowers. I have it planted around the edge of my side perennial bed. And yes there is lavender munstead planted with it. This is a very pretty combination....but both don't bloom at the same time. I started lavender munstead from seed years ago. It has a speratic germination. Some pop up a lot faster than others....you just have to wait it out. This particular lavender, does not survive moving.....so if you are sprinkling seed right in the garden make sure that is where you want it. Also I found that this lavender dies out after several years and will need to be replaced. I don't know if it is the same with other lavenders or not. Sierra

Bushy plants invite bugs. Without chemicals, that's how it's going to be! Or you can get a pond and encourage frogs to reproduce there to eat the bugs. We have what seems like hundreds of tadpoles in our pond. I think it's gonna be like Moses' plague when they get legs & come out of there! My guess is they are just dry, and maybe a bit sunburned.