THYME IN HANGING PLANTERS
Thyme grows well grow them in hanging baskets and hanging planters.
Thyme is as multi-purpose herb, it’s not only an ornamental plant, but
has an important place in any herbal garden. Its use as a seasoning is
an asset to any good cook.
THYME
There are records of Thyme’s existence for over 5,000 years. Thyme
was first cultivated by ancient Sumerians. The plant is native to
Southern Europe. Thyme was part of Greek and Roman life. The plant has
antiseptic properties and has been valued as a medicinal herb for
hundreds of years. Thyme is an ideal herb for the beginning cook and
gardener One of the most famous of the French herbs and indispensable
in the kitchen. Its sweet, warm, spicy flavor complements a variety of
meats, soups, stews, vegetables, breads, and desserts Before roasting,
rub chopped leaves fresh or dry into beef, veal, pork or lamb. Sprinkle
over eggs, vegetables. Brew into tea with rosemary and mint. If you’re
unsure what herb is best for a dish, throw in some thyme. Thyme comes in
over five hundred varieties. It belongs to the mint family.
Thyme is a shrub –like, low growing with aromatic gray green foliage.
Small lilac or pink colored blooms appear in late spring to midsummer.
The flowers attract bees and makes great tasting honey. The colorful
blooms are also a favorite of birds and butterflies. The flowers are
also edible. GROWING THYME IN HANGING PLANTERS
 It
is fun to grow thyme in hanging basket and in hanging planters. This
hardy perennial is easy to grow and does well in almost any soil.
Thyme’s like a light, loose, even slightly rocky soil.
Thymes like good drainage so growing thyme in a hanging planter or
hanging basket is ideal.
WATERING
Water on a regular basis, but let the soil dry out between watering.
Be sure the location you pick for planting is in full sun for most of
the day. Be sure the herb is not in standing water, causing root rot.
Do not over water.
Thyme reaches 8 inches in height and spreads 9-12 inches in width.
Thyme is best grown from nursery plants. Plant them in early spring 6-9
inches apart. Be sure the last frost is over.
New plants can also be propagated from cuttings. Most thyme
varieties are hardy to -20°F. A full day of sun is desirable, but plants
require at least 4 hours of sun for growth and health.
Remove dead stems and cut back upright plants where they meet the
soil in a spring pruning that invigorates the vegetation and helps to
reduce future disease problems. MIXED HERB HANGING PLANTERS – JUST
ADD THYME
Thyme grown alone in a hanging basket or hanging planter can be a
little disappointing – simply because of it compact growth habit – we
recommend adding in other herbs to your planter – herbs like parsley,
chives, society garlic and even dwarf sage. Add some violas or
nasturtiums for color.
 THYME
RECIPE – YUMMY !!!
Pizza with potatoes, mozzarella, rosemary, thyme and tomatoes
Ingredients
• 6 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 4 cooked new potatoes
a small handful of fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon thyme tips
• extra virgin olive oil
• lemon juice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 85g/3oz mozzarella Smear the tomato sauce evenly over the pizza
base. Slice the potatoes into 0.5cm/¼ inch thick slices and toss in a
bowl with the rosemary, thyme, a good glug of olive oil, a small squeeze
of lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Scatter them over the
pizza base and put small torn-up pieces of mozzarella into the gaps.
Cook until crisp and golden.
Or consider pizza with slow-roasted shredded pork with thyme, taleggio
and lemon-dressed rocket. This recipe is from Jamie Oliver. See
more at www.jamieoliver.com
VARIETIES OF THYMES
Thyme Thymus 'Wedgewood English'.
This is much the same as flat-leafed English thyme, except for a
small, light-colored mark on each leaf that looks like a Wedgewood china
pattern, increasing its ornamental value. This variety is a discovery of
Cyrus Hyde at Well-Sweep Herb Farm in New Jersey. Space 18 to 24 inches.
Thyme Thymus pulegioides 'Oregano Scented'.
Perennial, hardy to 0°F. Light oregano scent on a sub-erect plant.
Lavender flowers. Height to 12 inches.
Thyme, English Thymus 'Broad-leaf English'. Thanks to the
ground breaking work of Harriet Flannery Phillips, we know a lot more
about thyme than we did before she completed her study of the genus
Thymus in 1982. What we called English Thyme may have been one of the
biggest surprises: it is unable to reproduce itself from seed because it
is a single sex, (female) and seedling offspring would have to be
hybrids. This is the true English thyme which makes those soft, round
12-inch high mounds. It is softly aromatic and winter hardy with
delicate spring blooms. It can be reproduced only from cuttings. An easy
way to distinguish English thyme is to look at the leaves. The
leaf-margins of this thyme are flat, without the slightest curl.
Thyme, Golden Lemon Thymus x citriodorus 'Aureus'. A
variegated form of lemon thyme with golden-edged leaves, it is colorful
and surprisingly fragrant of lemons. The variegation is less pronounced
during the hot, sunny days of summer. Space on 18 to 24-inch centers.
Thyme, Green Lemon Thymus x citriodorus. This rapidly growing
thyme has deep green leaves imbued with a sweet lemony fragrance.
Rubbing a chicken’s skin with lemon thyme turns a simple roasted bird
into a gourmet treat. Semi-upright plants are about 12 inches tall.
Thyme, Lavender Thymus 'Pinewood'. Perennial, though not
reliably hardy in this area. Probably the same plant as the hybrid
Thymus Pinewood. The common name refers to the unusual purple flower
color, not to any similarity in aroma to its namesake. This
semi-upright/ trailing variety forms a beautiful dense green mat. Makes
good low border plant. Height to 4-6 inches. Edible but better suited as
an ornamental variety.
Thyme, Silver
 Thymus
'Argenteus'. The leaves of this thyme have a unique silver glow created
by gray-green leaves edged with silver, a wonderful contrast with the
traditional green leaves in the thyme bed. It forms an aromatic mound. A
border edged with this thyme will prove eye-catching.
Thyme, Turkish Thymus leucotrichus. This native of Turkey is
one terrific-looking upright thyme. It’s small green leaves hug the stem
and climb it in a tight formation, making a compact, bushy presentation.
A profusion of rose-pink flowers appear in early spring. Good for
containers and rock gardens. The leaves have a mild aroma. Hardy to
20°F. French Thyme What we call French thyme is much more
complex than we ever realized, according to the latest research. The
name is more an umbrella under which reside a number of thyme varieties
with distinct characteristics. One trait they all share is leaf-margins
that curl under. In recent years, we have made an effort to distinguish
some of the subtleties of aroma and shape that seem valuable and
separate them from the generic for you to enjoy for their unique beauty
and aroma. Thyme Thymus vulgaris 'Narrow-Leaf French'. (German Winter,
Common, Garden).
This thyme has medium-sized leaves and an aroma without harshness. It
flowers in spring with small lilac blossoms. It grows 12 to 16 inches
tall. Thyme Thymus vulgaris 'Orange Balsam'. The narrow,
sharply pointed dark green leaves pack a wallop with an intense aroma of
balsam and oranges. Plants are dense, about 12 inches high and 15 inches
wide. Plant on 12 to 15 inch centers. Thyme Thymus vulgaris
'Provencal'.
This variety was selected from seedlings of common thyme by Thomas
DeBaggio for its strong aroma. It has a woody, upright growth habit,
becoming somewhat gnarled after several years. Leaves are tiny,
gray-green arrowheads, held throughout the year. Mature plants are 12 to
16 inches tall and may spread to 24 to 36 inches if left unpruned.
Excellent culinary variety.
Creeping Thyme
Most creeping thymes offer little in the way of
aroma or flavor. Of course, it is there albeit subtle which limits these
plants' usefulness in the kitchen. Their charm is in the way they hug
the earth and spread a subtle rug of many textures and colors. Creeping
thymes and hanging baskets have an affinity for each other that an
artist would admire. A mulch of sand or small stones 1 inch deep spread
across the prepared soil will warm the roots and help dry the dense
foliage of these beauties, extending their lives for many years. They
creep not in the way of mints, via stolons, but because their stems root
as they lie on the earth's surface. Thyme - Thymus 'Archers Gold'.
 Only
2 1/2 inches tall, this vigorous dense creeper has lovely green-gold
leaves that will leave you breathless as they tumble over the edge of a
hanging basket. Excellent between pavers on a walkway. Winter hardy.
Thyme - Thymus 'Doone Valley'.
Perennial, hardy to 0°F, although the central crown may experience
some winter-kill. A mounding, prostrate variety with golden variegation
appearing in the early spring and fall, disappearing in mid-summer.
Lemon scented, with rose-pink flowers. Thyme, Caraway Thymus
herba-barona. This variety has tiny, pointed green leaves that provide a
pleasant caraway scent and is serviceable in the kitchen. Plants achieve
a height of about 4 inches and the stems quickly send down roots as it
creeps along. Caraway thyme is not as prone to rot as some other
creepers. Thyme, Coconut Thymus praecox subsp. arcticus.
Perennial. This creeping variety has tiny round leaves. Im still trying
to detect the coconut aroma. Looks great falling over a rock border.
Height to 4 inches in flower. Space 8 inches apart. Ornamental.
Thyme, Creeping Thymus x citriodorus 'Lemon Mist'. Small pink
blossoms in May cover the sprawling growth of this new, singular thyme.
Its small, pointed green leaves are rich in lemony essence. Its vigor is
such that it may spread to three feet wide in two years. Plants reach 10
inches high. Thyme, Creeping Thymus pulegioides. With its
medium-size, bright green leaves and colorful pink flowers, this
vigorous procumbent thyme will charm the bees and your heart. For
several years we had a one of these growing in the gravel by the cash
register in Arlington. It wandered there, tamed by the many feet that
brushed it, for many years until a child pulled it, thinking it was a
weed. Thyme, Crimson Thymus praecox subsp. articus 'Coccineus'.
Perennial. Hardy to -25°F. Striking red-purple flowers on a low creeping
plant. Height to 4 inches. Blooms early summer. Thyme, Spicy Orange
Thymus. Perennial. Hardy to about 10° F. Low, spreading mound with
slightly hairy leaves and pungent orange scent. Height to 4 inches.
Space 8 inches apart. Minimum sun: 4 hrs. Soil: fertile, very
well-drained. pH range 4.5 to 8. Use in tea, meat, stew, vegetables,
poultry, pork, and sauces. Thyme, Transparent Yellow Thymus
'Clear Gold'. Perennial, hardy to 0°F. Low, spreading mound with
slightly hairy golden leaves that make an amazing foil for the purple
flowers of Turkish thyme. During midsummer, leaves are more of a
pale-green. Height to 6 inches. Ornamental. (Golden Dwarf thyme or
Creeping Golden thyme). Thyme, White Creeping Thymus praecox
subsp. arcticus 'Albus'. Perennial. Hardy to -25°F. White flowers appear
in early summer. A low creeping plant growing to 3 inches tall. Good for
between pavers and stepping stones. Like all thymes, requires excellent
drainage and full sun. Thyme, Woolly Thymus praecox subsp.
arcticus 'Lanuginosus'. Woolly Thyme. Thymus praecox subsp. arcticus
Lanuginosus. Perennial, hardy to -20°F. The fuzzy gray leaves of the
dainty creeper provide its common name Woolly. It makes a soft and
huggable ground cover. Perfect for growing over a stone wall.
Referenced from…
http://debaggioherbs.com
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