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Rocky Mountain Gardening

Thyme as a lawn alternative

17 years ago

Last year I orderd three flats of Ohme Garden Thyme from HCG (a pretty big investment at $100 a flat).

I planted one flat in a an incredibly tough area (lots of shade and lots of dog traffic) and it did amazingly well, spreading from tiny plugs to 6-7 inches. It really hugs the ground, which is desirable so it doens't hide or outshine my flower beds.

The other two flats I planned to put into another area, but some unplanned excavation prevented me from getting this done. So all summer I tried to keep the flats alive (the hot dry days can really dry flats out fast).

By the end of the summer they looked really bad. Some of the plants were absolutely dead, but in October (yes, you read that right) I planted everything that even had a tinge of green on it. (Northside of the house, moderate soil prep and some root stim, mulched for the winter)

Every single plant came back this spring to my surprise. I am pretty thrilled since erosion is a big problem for me perched on the side of this rocky ol' mountain and a grass lawn was out of the question.

This is a bit of encouragement to those who want to give thyme a try, I think you will be pleased.

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Comments (3)

emagineer
17 years ago
I planted a single thyme (mixed with 3 other types) which was called a dwarf something. It was the fastest grower, low and thick as can be. Would love to find it again in seeds, but can't remember the actual name.

Did a search on Ohme and found some great pics of lawns using it, but the only place that showed up selling any is HCG. Have bought from them also, but wish there was a less expensive option. On the plus side is your success regardless of the price. Quality over quanity may be worth an investment.
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tommyd2007
17 years ago
Looks like $100 was a deal. They are now up to $116/flat of 32 plugs! Going to check locally for any wholesale prices and availability. Sure like the look though!
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Whew! I thought I would end up bringing home pretty much everything I brought. Thanks for the interest! I am looking for any good ground covers -- the lower-maintenance the better, drought-tolderant, and suitable for shade or part-sun. I need to cover a pretty steep bank with things that will help prevent erosion. bejoy: If you are interested in large quantities of WT, let me know and I can toss some more in the car. I have a few different varieties. kellyc: I will bring plenty of low-growing sedums. I have some that drop their leaves (like they are going dormant right now) and one that I think is evergreen. Since I have gotten most of mine from other people's cuttings, identification is a bit dicey (but that's the fun part, right?). I just got some really cute ones with coral pink leaves. I would like a couple of your lavender seedlings. bejoy2: Please note that the Yew is rooted cuttings... They are still only about 4" tall in 4" pots, but I will see if I have a taller one that I can toss in a pot this week. I would like some of your arctostaph u-u, and any sedums. I'm getting addicted to sedums.
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Thyme can be funny in getting established. Any new plant needs steady moisture levels while getting established. Thyme won't tolerate any standing water whatsoever. What varieties of thyme are you trying to establish as your lawn? Some are more tenacious than others. I find that Nutmeg thyme, alba thyme, Caraway thyme, tuffett thyme, and elfin thyme are reliable spreaders; with the first three being the most aggressive in spreading out. I also have gold oregano thyme that is quite good in spreading out but I've never seen it carried anywhere else so its not much help for me to suggest it unless you want to drive here for some starts. Having said all this; I live in the south where it is warm but not nearly as hot as NM; and we generally have a lot more humidity. You may find that your thyme is initially making it where it has a bit of shade to help it get established at first. Try using a floating row cover over your plants to provide a bit of light shade to begin with.
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I'm with mad_gallica on this one-- My two dogs both lie in my thyme plants, squashing them to death each year I plant new ones. Something about the coolness of the plant, the softness of its leaves, or the scent attract them to lie down in it. I'm not dog enough to understand! There are some creeping sedums that will stay low and provide a drought-tolerant option for the area. Why not incorporate thyme just to see how it performs? If you're up for some more maintenance, and don't have any rose or apples in the area, you could plant some creeping juniper. They're relatively drought-tolerant once established and can tolerate harder pruning if they approach the side walk.
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bamboo_in_idaho
17 years ago
When you say you had lots of dog traffic in the area that did well, are you talking about big dogs, little dogs, both? We are looking at buffalo grass for our back yard for a 100 pound dog and 7lb dog, but thyme might be interesting too. Is it fairly drought tolerant or did you have to water it a lot?
Thanks!
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