Almost every garden owner has a more or less green lawn - and often curses it when it's time to mow again. A so-called scented lawn is a great alternative, especially in small gardens and in places that are difficult to access for lawnmowers - it traditionally comes from England and has been cultivated there as “scented lawn” for several centuries. Some ground-covering varieties of thyme are also suitable for this purpose.
Is thyme sturdy and resilient?
Tough thyme varieties such as sand thyme (Thymus serpyllum) form a dense, low-growing lawn that tolerates occasional foot traffic. However, walking on them too often can lead to visible paths and affect the thyme lawn.
Ground Cover Thyme Varieties
The sand thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is particularly suitable for planting fragrant lawns. Varieties such as the purple-flowering “Magic Carpet”, the white-flowering “Albus” or the pink-flowering carpet thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus) are characterized by their creeping growth. Lemon and caraway thyme are also well suited for this type of planting. The thyme varieties mentioned usually only reach heights of between two and a maximum of five centimeters and form a dense, generally sturdy lawn.
Planting a scented thyme lawn
Creeping thyme should be planted approximately 15 to 20 centimeters apart. Like all other types of thyme, the thyme lawn also needs a sunny location with poor, sandy soil if possible. A place in partial shade or under a large tree, on the other hand, is not very suitable. The young plants are planted in spring and grow together into a dense carpet within one growing season. Since most thyme varieties are now hardy, nothing should stand in the way of overwintering outdoors - if necessary with protective brushwood.
What does “steady” actually mean?
Don't be misled by descriptions like "tough" or "walkable" - these terms simply mean that you can walk on your thyme lawn occasionally, but not as intensively as a lawn. You can quickly tell that the fragrant lawns are heavily used, as they form real streets depending on the direction you walk. To avoid this unsightly effect, it is better to create a path using tread plates (€197.00 on Amazon) if the lawn is to be walked on.
Tips & Tricks
Thyme is a pasture that is often used by bees and bumblebees. For this reason, you should avoid walking barefoot across your thyme lawn or even sitting on it, especially during the flowering period.