Great Groundcovers: Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 พ.ค. 2021
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Groundcovers are some of my favorite plants because they do such a great job of unifying spaces in the garden. They also add a lot more plant life to areas that would typically show just mulch.
Creeping Thyme is my favorite ground cover for hot, sunny, droughty areas around the garden. It forms a thick dense coverage of foliage that helps to stifle out the weeds and it even flowers in the summer time. In this video I demonstrate how to take your Thyme out of the tray and get it planted in the ground. #thyme #groundcover #gardening #plantvibes #garden
A lady gave me a tiny chunk of this Thyme years ago, from her lake house. I took it home, planted it at edge of my flower bed, next to the rock border, and 6-7 years later it’s spread all way around my flower bed border. It crawls over the rocks, it’s like a big sponge. The first few years I just cut out a few patches and planted them along the border. By far the hardiest, easy to grow plant ever.
Wow that’s an incredible story!!
@@plantvibrations I just found out what it was yesterday, when I used plant identification app on my iphone. I knew it was some type of herb, I was thinking rosemary for some reason, but nope it was Mother of Thyme. The only “problem” I’ve noticed with this plant is that certain weeds, (wild carrots)and grass, can grow inside it and can lead to the Thyme thinning out a bit in those areas if left unchecked.
I tossed some seed around the yard several years ago, it's growing wildly now in sunny areas, every year spreads a little more. Never needs mowing. In full bloom it's full of bees and butterflies, I often just sit there and watch them all.
At the same time I tossed some other groundcover seeds around, the creeping thyme was the one that really took off.
Wow I love hearing that! Sounds like a beautiful sight to behold
Thank you so much for the explanations and demonstration in this video👍I researched for a non-invasive, pollinator-friendly, mosquito-repelling ground covering that will flourish in my area (zone 6b) and landed on creeping thyme. I have purchased seeds in different colors and my goal is to transform the lawn strips between the sidewalk and street and a majority of the front yard with them (wildflowers, herbs, and alliums for the rest). The neighbor lady told me I was welcome to also transform her lawn into creeping thyme. I mow her lawn and ours (she is elderly) and my hope is to eventually stop mowing altogether and just have a very low maintenance pollinator paradise. 🤞
Awesome!! They make a great lawn replacement for lawns that aren’t too big
Just started planting my 9 piece set-can't wait to see how they spread!
awesome! they will take their time getting established this season and then explode in growth next season
Came looking for creeping thyme and found this beautiful man who loves plants!!? Is this real?
Lolol
👍😂
The stuff we dream of ❤
Like the older webspoon videos where you only see his hands…and the music…and you feel he’s cooking just for you.
LOL I’m just an old lady that appreciates beauty
Me too! 😂. And it's so nice to see a "real" garden that isn't pristine. With the edges needing cut and trimmed.. just like mine!
Good thyme seeds beyong culinary thyme are hard to find. But if you manage to do it, it's the best way to grow it fast. For couple years I tried to propagate thyme by division and cuttings and it was slow growing plants. For some reason seedlings make 2-3 times for green mass than cuttings especially first year.
That’s awesome, thank you for sharing
Glad I found your channel here, sharing it in the Q&As on the Q. People were asking how to find you. Great job Devin 👏
Awesome!! Thank you for sharing Emily!!
This native plant reminds me of our sun-filled summer holidays in the European countryside when we used to roam the open fields, back in the '90s. This plant was everywhere, the scent is unforgettable.
Sounds fabulous! I hope to see them growing wild sometime
The 90’s…good ol’days
This plant showed up in my yard on its own 3 years ago and its so nice, its spread so much across the garden bed.
Lucky you!!
The Thyme Walk that Charles has been establishing for decades at Highgrove House is my favorite - the smell, the insect life, the ground cover, the aesthetics🪴
I hope to see it in person one day!
You are awesome!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Thanks for watching :)
Thanks for the video!😊👌
Hope it helped!!
thank You soooo MucH for your awesome info ~& energiie 🌿🌿 much Love ✨🥀
You are so welcome!
Thank you. I’m considering planting it in my gravel driveway to create beauty and keep out the weeds…
It won't tolerate car traffic. It would be happy growing through a grid, especially if you put down an inch or two of soil down.
Yes I too have seen it do well in a grid but I think the car will be too much weight
I love it. Unfortunately I tried planting some of the creeping thyme between stepping stones, The lawn service thought they were weeds and killed them all. 🤣🤣🤣😭
i have been having loads of conversations with my lawn service to make sure they dont cut my plants down! i have been marking everything with white tags and they said that is very helpful for them to know what not to cut
Same here. They think they're being helpful and gave me a lecture about WEED roots ruining my driveway. They hacked my chives and onions beside them too. If anything they made it worse since the roots in the cracks shrank. I plant things that squirrels, gophers and coons hate.
ugh
Lawn service? You should employ a teen, teach them the value of the dollar and boss them around little with some stories of yore, like when a candy bar cost under a dollar. Then, they won’t grow up to be some grass maintenance lawn service technician who can’t tell a Thymus serpyllum from Ambrosia psilostachya.
Why not just do your own landscaping, isn’t that part of the fun?
Thank you great tip😁
Thanks for watching!!
I put some of this thyme in a pot with my mini roses and they love each other. It cascades beautifully over the edge. I'm now looking to split it off in to other regular size rose pots and see how they do
Ooooh sounds like a fantastic combo!
Great video boss. Keep it up.
hehe thank you!! glad you enjoyed the video
Well, we have plenty of sun here in Central Texas. Just found out about this tonight and this was the first thing to come up.
I’ve really enjoyed growing it! Check out my recent video about ground cover reviews and you’ll see how it’s doing after one year
What other ground cover plants would go well with creeping thyme? Great video!
Thanks for watching! I love it mixed with some Hardy sedums and some May forming dianthus!
Im in the process of planting plugs all over the small cemetery attached to my property. Less mowing and good for bees
Yes absolutely
hey! can you show us how your creeping thyme look like right now? good video!
Yes I can!!
Hi Devin! I just found your channel and I love it! I was looking for ground cover to replace my thirsty lawn in Southern California. Would this be a good lawn replacement on a slope? Can it fill in quickly? Will it tolerate heat and drought conditions? (We're running out of water here) Do you have any suggestions for a fast growing, drought tolerant lawn replacement? Thank you very much!!
This would definitely be my best recommendation for what you’re looking for. Takes 2-3 years to fill in
@@plantvibrations Haha....2-3 years sounds like a long time to me!! Thank you for responding so quickly. I really appreciate it.
I got my creeping thyme seeds in late for my zone (5B) and they're currently about an inch-ish high. Any idea whether they'd survive the winter? I have some peat pots to bring some in for the winter, but not for all.
what are they currently planted in? in the ground? over the next couple months they should continue growing some roots and that'll help them through the winter. then next spring you'll likely want to give them a shear to help them start new growth
@@plantvibrations yes in the ground. we normally have frost by late sept or early oct.
Great video, but I have a few questions...
1) Can I plant in an area that already has grass and have it push out/take over the grass, or do I have to first take the grass out?
2) Will it crowd out other vegetation if I also want to have an on-ground vegetable garden?
3) How difficult is it to pull up to till if I choose to use a space it's taken over?
4) How child friendly is it?
Thank you :-)
Very child friendly. You need to remove grass first. It won’t overtake other plants
For a couple weeks each year when it's in bloom, it will attract LOTS of bees, so warn your kids not to go barefoot at those times. Most of these bees will look VERY SMALL, about the size of a mosquito. IF you mow, do it 2 weeks or more after the flowers "disappear" and do NOT collect the clipping, which will have ripe seed.
Ugh I wish this was possible to plant in zone 9b. I’m still researching, but it’s so hard to find things that will thrive in central Florida.
Ahhh dang yeah it probably wouldn’t do great there. There must be a botanical near where you can find inspo!
Will this choke out other perennials? Looking for a ground cover instead of mulch in a very new bed. Hoping to add annuals next year too. Just done with mulch!
Hi Sarah, if you have perennials already planted with established roots, thyme will definitely not damage them! thyme has very shallow roots that are quite fine (thin) and thus doesn't choke out other perennials. it will help suppress dormant weeds from sprouting, which i love
Do you have any recommendations for ground cover that can be planted in a wooded area without much light to choke out some of the weeds? We are currently fighting off some invasive weeds and shrubbery but there very little light. It's on a hill so drains fairly well.
Depends greatly on your zone, but one of my favorite is wild ginger asarum
Hello Devin I was suggested to use creeping red thyme as a ground cover I am in South Florida zone 10B where mostly Nov-May hardly ever rains but still very Humid and most of the summer rains either all day or a few hrs of the day would you recommend using this as a ground cover as I don't have much lawn and really don't want to mow grass thanks!
Hmm zone 10b seems like it may be pushing it, potentially too warm for too much of the year
@@plantvibrations what ground cover would u recommend
Thank you for this video. Not sure the best time to plant. I'm in zone 4a (Calgary Canada). Any suggestions?
Right around May 15 would be great for you!
I have an area on a slope that had rocks, basically a white rock bed. I took up many of these rocks and put them around an above ground pool. After many, many days and hours, there are still rocks in this bed. I am thinking of putting ground cover similar to this. Will they grow with the rocks? Or does it need good clean soil? The soil is kind of sandy...I live near the Gulf. Thank you and I really enjoyed your video and suggestions.
It really depends on your zone. I’m not familiar enough with your weather to say. Thyme is excellent for exactly that sort of setting in zones 5-8 with part to full sun. There may be better alternatives in your region. Try to find a local botanical garden or university extension website for suggestions
Thinking of planting these between my fence line and sidewalk that faces west (Zone 5). Would these or a hardy sedum or both I guess be a good ground over for an area like that? Currently just rock and lots of weeds.
Yes you can definitely use these. Just do your best to keep the weeds at bay while they’re getting established
When i buy my 1st house, im definitely replacing my lawn as id love a garden free of invasive species, including grass
Yessss this plant is worth the extra upfront labor and cost to replace silly turf
An article I read on creeping thyme advised to prune it back to 1/2 inch in the spring to encourage new blossoms. Is there a lazy way to do this like with a lawn mower?
you can definitely use a blade trimmer if you have it, without mowing all the way to the ground. trimming it back the first couple seasons is helpful for creating thicker growth, but by the 3rd year its not necessary, imo.
I recently had trees removed and the process removed the grass from a large portion of my front yard. I would like to plant creeping time instead of grass in the bald spots, but how can I prepare the ground? I live in Georgia so it's mostly clay like dirt in my yard.
hi jessica, the first thing to consider is the drainage. if the drainage is good in those areas then the preparation is nothing more than simply planting in the thyme. if those areas don't drain well, it would be a good idea to mix in some small gravel into the areas while you are planting in, that will ensure they don't stay waterlogged while theyre getting established. hope that helps
I planted creeping thyme around some stone bordering at my house based on some advice found on Reddit, but later started to be concerned that my area my not be conducive for it. We are in zone 6a but with a LOT of rainfall (~90 inches). I'm guessing it's going to be too wet but we'll see. An alternative I've seen is Caucasian stonecrop. I would be curious to hear your opinion.
hi, please see other response.
We are replacing our front lawn with red creeping thyme. Do we need to rip out the whole lawn and leave gaps or will it still spread if we just plant it within the lawn?
If we need to take the grass completely out, if we lightly mulch between the plants will that affect the growth and spread of the thyme?
You’ll definitely need to remove all of the grass unfortunately. Giving mulch willl be essential while you wait for it to fill out
thanks a lot , lot thyme . I got a slope pretty steep and trying to find ways to stop weeds growing and was looking at planting creeping thymes , rosemary, mondo grass, .. but fo the two years before those plants take over the ground what will you recommend a weed cloth or more ecologically friendly cardbaords?? was thinking cardboard but not sure how to keep mulch on top of it and not falling down the slope :(( Am in Italy with four seasons slope is very sunny and at time windy , Thanks Francois PS any recommendation of good creeping perennial plants
Cardboard is definitely a good way to go. You can use a gravel mulch and that should stay in place on the slope better than a bark mulch would
@@plantvibrationsthanks a lot , but gravel on cardboard will easily slide down isn’t it??
I want to plant something to crowd out the creeping Charlie in my stone border around the brick patio.
hey lisa, creeping charlie can definitely be pretty intense, but planting the thyme will help keep it in check. thyme isn't as vigorous as creeping charlie, but by planting alongside it you will inhibit the creeping charlie from expanding
How do you water it once established? What kind of annual maintenance is required if any (pruning, winterization etc)? I am in zone 6.
Hi Jeff. once it is established, the natural precipitation is generally sufficient. however, if you are experiencing droughty conditions with no rain for 2weeks + then definitely give it some water. you can give them an annual trimming around the edges and on top if you want to produce thicker growth, but that is just as you see fit
IF you put down salt for winter, the sodium chloride will kill thyme. Instead, use "Pet Safe" salt, which Costco sells cheap in Oct. That contains minerals your soul will actually need.
How do I grow this from seeds? I am in zone 5B.
Thank you
I've got a few quarts of creeping thyme and creeping phlox coming. I just wonder how long it'll take for it to spread. I have clay soil that I mulched heavily with wood chips. My plan is to steadily open some of that up, move the mulch to be more birm-like around the fruit trees, and let creeping thyme/phlox spread.
I found your video because I want to figure out how to best get the most coverage and spreading of this stuff. Can't find a clear answer on how to best spread it.
Best way to spread it would be to halve you quarts, plant them up and then in two seasons you can divide them and replant. That would be my suggestion
Where did you get creeping phlox seeds? We can only find a whole plant to buy. Kind of hard to replace your lawn when you just have a single plant to start with lol
You mentioned it's ideal for them to be in full sun. Do you know of any that will be ok in partial sun to shade? My front yard is a slope and I want something that looks nice but isn't grass or mulch/stones. Zone 5
I’ve found they still do quite well with at least a couple hours of morning sun. Perhaps need to plant more densely though bc likely won’t spread quite as much
@@plantvibrations Oh perfect! Thank you so much!
Could you pull out the plants from the tray and lay it down like sod? Not saying it’s cost effective but could it be done?
It could work but I fear the exposed roots on the sides would cause it to dry out before they have a chance to root
Do you think would grow well in a rock bed? 1-3" rock size. Maybe I should just throw seed? Thoughts?
It’s worth a shot!
Hello, how is the creeping thyme growing? Can you upload some photos to show the progress? Thanks!
Yes I will to my Instagram when the beds start perking up
We are thinking about replacing our grass lawn with more drought and heat-tolerant ground cover. I have a couple of questions if you do not mind.
1. Would we need to remove the grass first, or would it be possible to add some creeping thyme to the lawn and hope that it will eventually take over the lawn. '
2. We have a section of our lawn that is right up against our neighbor's lawn. How invasive is thyme? Any suggestions for creating some sort of barrier?
Thank you for your thyme!
Definitely need to remove the grass. It won’t beat out grass. You could use some kind of stones or plastic barrier between yards
Yeah, I don’t think it can compete with grass very well, because that’s my biggest problem, is when grass starts growing in it, and kinda “starves” it out and it starts to get thinner and not doing as well.
If you get upset with your neighbor at sometime, just plant some oregano next to his lawn…I’ve never seen anything that spreads like oregano does. I’m surprised oregano hasn’t takin over the world alteady
While doing research on a plant I've been taking care of I came across creeping thyme. In the photo I saw it was growing up a wall but it was very blue probably photoshopped but thought I'd ask anyway if this stuff does grow up walls and if there is a blue variety. I'm new to plants
Hmm I think they had it mislabeled, thyme will not climb and there is no blue variety. Sounds like a cool plant tho whatever it is
Will this grow in Baja California Sur Mexico? Have a catio with malla Sombra shade mesh over it because otherwise it's boiling hot. Had st. Augustin there but it died out and looking for something hardier but not having the sun shade over the catio would turn it into an oven. It allows a low sun filtered by the shade thing look up malla Sombra if you need to know what that means
Hola. Pues el thyme puede vivir con ese sol pero tendrá que regarlo con mucha frequencia. Sugiero ice plant en ves de thyme. No puedes caminar encima de iceplant pero tomará el sol mucho mejor y necesita menos agua
What is the fastest growing/spreading ground cover perenial that I can plant around the banks of my pond so I do not have to mow grass around the pond ? The pond bank is a sunny area with good drainage ...I would prefer something that I can just throw a bunch of seeds down on the dirt of the pond bank and I would not need me to water it regularly for it to take root/ spread Ty
Perhaps English ivy
@@plantvibrations ty...creeping thyme wont spread quickly if I planted it by seed outside on the barren dirt of my pond bank ?
Is Creeping Thyme ok for clay soil and a lot of sunlight? I need something like this, a creeping low to the ground cover that is attractive that can grow in clay soil without a lot of water ( I live in CA where we are have had years of drought ) and can take a lot of sun. Any suggestions?
Hi! Yes creeping thyme will grow there but it will need some additional irrigation like pretty much anything in California. But it will require much less water than other groundcovers, it’s quite drought tolerant
@@plantvibrations
Thanks
I ordered the Roberta's 6 piece Trample Me Thyme ground cover from QVC...I live in South Carolina (Red Clay Soil)n and need some kind of ground cover in the backyard by the fence - NOT a Lot of sun...will this be the right thing ?? Or would you recommend something else ?? I also need something Safe for pets as I have 3 German Shepherd Dogs....NOT really sloping and Does get a lot of shade.... HELP !!!!
hi carol! i recommend planting this in locations with plenty of sunlight! if you need a ground cover for shadier areas I'd suggest lamium or coral bells
What's the difference between creeping thyme and lemon thyme? Is lemon thyme also good for creeping ground cover? I have not been able to find creeping thyme but I am seeing lemon thyme in the stores.
Lemon thyme is just a variety. Will work well as a groundcover. Check out robertasgardens.net for some
So what would you suggest ground cover plants for tropical environments?
Check a local botanical garden for ideas!
I'm looking for grass alternatives for my lawn. Will this be a good idea and can it handle people walking on it ?
Great substitution for a smaller lawn. Needs to be in full sun but can handle foot traffic well
Will Creeping thyme survive in zone 3 area? i have a slope garden bed that i am looking to cover
Oooh thats tough, you may be able to find a species of thyme that can handle zone 3. as far as i know, zone 4 is pretty much the limit, but it may be worth trying
What hardiness zone are you located for planting this ? Chicago is cold!
I’m in zone 6. Thyme should be Hardy to 4b/5a
Any recommendation where I can buy the tray of creeping thyme you showed in the video?
My family sells them at robertasgardens.net
I was going to start growing some in one long tray 15k seeds
That’s a lot of seeds!
Do you have a video about your raised bed in this video?
I’m filming it very soon!
@@plantvibrations awesome! Look forward to watching it
The area I want to use this on is full of river rock. Can I just plant in between the river rock or should I clean all the rock out of the area?
No need to clean the rocks! As long as there is great drainage it should be fine
Hello，is it normal for thyme turning red and purple during winter time，and no any fragrance
Yep that’s what’s happening with mine right now too!
would this be able to survive winter in the mountains of southern california?
yeah absolutely. temperature-wise it will be no problem, they can handle well into the negatives. you may need some supplemental irrigation though; they are generally considered quite drought tolerant, but i know that area can be exceptionally dry.
@@plantvibrations awesome!
appreciate u! subbed
@@nomsg7942 thanks for joining the plant vibes! i think you'll love the thyme!
Can you recommend a high traffic ground cover?
This is a great one! Creeping Jenny is also good
You're giving me no choice. I'm going to have to subscribe.
Heheh thanks for joining!!
So i have stubborn weeds. I’m nervous about planting 50 of these as my lawn alternative and then my weeds making all my work go to waste.
Weeds will still come up. But the fluffier species do best
Where should the crown sit when you plant? At soil level? slightly above soil level?
at soil level
Can this be used in zone 10b?
Hi Santosh. I don’t believe it would do well in 10b. They typically prefer to have periods of cooler temperatures at some point in the year.
I tried to save some $$ by buying from seed, but ended up with a very different creeping thyme. Anyone know how to find seeds for the variety in the video?
Did you look for Thymus serpyllum or coccineus?
@@plantvibrations just searched for "creeping thyme" and clicked the first result I saw :)
Is it good for cooking and seasoning?
Not very flavorful
How do you grow them from seeds? Thank you
They can be hard to find in seeds but very easy to grow if you do find thwm
Any recommendations where to buy seeds? AMZ sells but the reviews aren’t the best.
My family sells flats at robertasgardens.net
can any type of thyme be used?
some will be better at creating a ground covering effect than others. thyme that is sold as a kitchen herb will not be the best option
What are its water needs?
Very minimal. Water for the first month after planting and during drought my conditions only
Can creeping thyme be used as a lawn replacement?
Yes!!
@@plantvibrations ok, thank you very much. Thyme (pun intended) to do some research for my area.
Is it monsoon hardy? Where I live, there's three months of monsoon :(
It may not be the best option for you unless you can provide it excellent drainage
Where can you find the seeds to grow these? Can you find the plants a garden centers?
My family offers them at robertasgardens.net but I believe we’re sold out for the season
Where did he buy the seeds? What company/brand? Thank you. :)
My family grows the trays from seeds. We don’t sell the seeds but next spring we will have more trays for sale. Plant-vibrations.com
@@plantvibrations thank you!
I bet he regretted eating that piece of thyme at the beginning of the video, lol. Job well done though.
i proceeded to choke on it for the next few minutes, its true lol
Hi, I am looking for that for a long time now. May I ask you for some seeds? I am from the Philippines. Thank you in advance.
hmm im not sure for where you are located, im sorry
How are they doing now?
Lets see some one year growth.
Definitely! i am hoping to do an update video when they begin flowering
@@plantvibrations Thank you! I am trying to source plugs or seeds atm
@@ShaneGorrell robertasuniquegardens.com/thyme-trample-metm-groundcover-9-pak-r89800.html
Where did he get it from? 😊
Robertasgardens.net
Can you grow this in a container
You totally can, it makes a nice component in a mixed container
Where can I find this plant in atlanta
Hmmm hard to say!
You are to cute😍 I am just being a mom 🙂
Lolol thanks for watching :)
Was thinking the same myself, such a gentleman with mother nature🥰 easy on the eyes too, surely somebody's lucky to have him!
@@ashleymiles4050 he does have a beautiful face
How are they doing a year later
I will make an update video soon!
Do rabbits and deer eat it? I can see half of it disappearing in a week.
I’ve never had anything touch mine and deer are very frequent
Update video?
Yes! im hoping to record an update in the next few weeks
Is it evergreen?
generally speaking yes, unless you live in zone 4 it may dieback a bit
you are sucker for ground covers... and you are handsome too
i do love my groundcovers!
will deer eat it?
Nope, they stay away 🙏
do you know of a ground cover that helps with mosquitoes? #PlantVibrationswithDevinWallien
hmmm not that i can think of! sorry
Mosquitoes hate thyme and oregano 👍
@@jamescameron6604 thanks sooooo much
I read the the red creeping time keep mosquito away
oh wow i didn't know that, but if its true im all for it!
Will rabbits eat this?
I don’t think so
Omg marry me
Lol