Before you head out to the local plant nurseries to purchase a plant tickling your fancy, think about how it will work for you within your landscapes. Plant material provides function and purpose in addition to looking pretty. Shrubs, trees, perennials and annuals provide Greensboro landscapes with so much more!!
Let’s take a look at one plant and discover how many ways it can work for you in your landscape or garden. Creeping Thyme or the scientific name Thymus is one we can explore.
Thyme is considered an herb or perennial and usually evergreen in the Greensboro area. It is small in size, compact, loves the sun, provides flowers in the spring, drought tolerate, comes in many varieties, culinary uses and the foliage smells divine.
Professional designers really need to discover how this plant will function and serve a purpose in landscape and planting plans. Because thyme is drought tolerate it will work nicely in pots (cascading over the sides), areas not located close to a water source (drought tolerate), and great for the homeowner sporting a black thumb (easy to grow).
Thyme is a great addition to the sunny slopes. Get rid of the grass and incorporate boulders and other small evergreen plants and you have a beautiful rock garden on that slope you instructed your teenager to mow. Erosion control can be addressed by using these types of plants. Since thyme can take the heat, think about having them cascading down a retaining wall located in the sun.
Another function of thyme would be to hide “not so pretty” low-level lighting fixtures. Because this plant is small in size, uplights for trees could be camouflaged within the plants.
Does anyone have a problem with deer or rabbits? Yes, I thought so. Try thyme. Typically these animals stay clear from plant material with scented sticky leaves and thyme is one of them.
The last note on Thyme is the incredible wonderful aroma they emit when touched. Wow, do I love thyme and all other herby-scented plants
The Thyme above is gorgeous in bloom, Thymus coccineum.
To get more bang for your buck think about how a plant will work for you.
Happy Planting!
Diana Gardner-Williams www.greensborogardens.wordpress.com
Landscape Design and Installation
