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Gardening

Creeping thyme lawn

(41 Posts)
Luckygirl3 Thu 29-Jun-23 22:41:00

Has anyone ever tried to create one? I am thinking of giving over part of my lawn (the bit by the wild flowers) to this. All advice gratefully received!

Germanshepherdsmum Sun 02-Jul-23 17:42:30

It’s very pretty but I wouldn’t consider it for a lawn. It wouldn’t like being walked on I think, and would die back to nothing in the winter. If you have a dog you also have to consider what could be easily cleaned up, if you get my drift. And if you have falling leaves in autumn you have to consider what will withstand the rake!

stewaris Sun 02-Jul-23 17:50:17

I used chamomile for a lawn many years ago. Other posters are correct that they aren't as hardy as grass but I used to go out and trim around the edges with shears and the smell was fantastic. I also used to smell of chamomile once I was finished. It was lawn chamomile I used not the one used for tea making. It sent runners out and I ended up with a fragrant, thick lawn. I've been thinking of doing it agai but have b=never quite got around to it.

cc Sun 02-Jul-23 17:52:30

No dogs here so no problems there.
I found it worked well in paving gaps and gravel in my last garden where it was trodden on from time to time - though it was not on a daily route. I'm thinking of planting as ground cover under an amelanchier, birches and smallish fruit trees so probably no regular footfall.
Because it dies right back I'm hoping that occasional raking would be fine, in fact that might help to spread the seeds.

Germanshepherdsmum Sun 02-Jul-23 18:02:01

Yes, it’s lovely in gaps in paving. I have no idea if it likes shade. I suspect not as it likes the sun.

win Sun 02-Jul-23 18:05:27

My friend has made a huge Eco-forest in which they have dug a pond and made a long bench seat all around it of earth and covered it in thyme which is now ready to sit on having spread rapidly over a few months. It is wonderful

Gwyllt Mon 03-Jul-23 08:22:26

The Erigeron makes a good base for a ‘lawn ‘ didn’t realise haw much had self seeded into mine till the grass element turned to straw cuts well and keeps on flowering So does the self heal and other wild flowers that have taken over the brambles were cleared

VB000 Mon 03-Jul-23 11:25:23

Saw a pretty creeping thyme lawn at a National Trust place yesterday - very popular with bees.

Luckygirl3 Mon 03-Jul-23 22:11:09

I wonder if you could mix creeping thyme and creeping Jenny?

Daddima Mon 03-Jul-23 22:36:23

Daddima

I have planted some creeping thyme around the Bodach’s gravestone, as the grass doesn’t go near it. I haven’t checked on it for a couple of weeks, so hoping the hot spell didn’t do for them. The seeds were microscopic, so may only cover one corner at first!

Well, as of today, there appears to be a small area of thyme, though, as I said, the seeds were tiny! I’m going to buy some more, and hope the plant will creep.

Callistemon21 Mon 03-Jul-23 22:55:50

We have a bank at the front which was grass but now seems to be dead moss with a few weeds (Hawkweed) and even they are struggling.
The soil is very poor but we can't add more as it would slide on to the drive.

Would creeping thyme thrive in such poor soil?

Callistemon21 Mon 03-Jul-23 22:59:50

It would have to be no maintenance.
Even the thyme in one of my pots died, the other survived the hot spell.

Hetty58 Mon 03-Jul-23 23:59:43

One of the lawns here has become almost entirely white clover and lawn daisies. It stays green through the worst heatwaves and doesn't need much mowing.

Another patch is Vinca Minor that's spread over the years - just trimmed with shears every few years. It's a picture when in flower. Then there's a whole bed of golden marjoram that's sometimes cut short.

The dog violets living in paving cracks have spread into another lawn - and I've let them as they are no problem.

Luckygirl3 Tue 04-Jul-23 09:26:22

In my previous garden there was blue star creeper in with the grass and it created z beautiful blue carpet of flowers each year. It got mown down with the grass and then bobbed back up again in full flower the next day.

Here is some information about it: www.gardeningknowhow.com/lawn-care/lawn-substitutes/blue-star-creeper-lawn/blue-star-creeper-plant.htm

I will search to see if you can get plants/seedlings.

cc Wed 05-Jul-23 20:07:30

Luckygirl3

In my previous garden there was blue star creeper in with the grass and it created z beautiful blue carpet of flowers each year. It got mown down with the grass and then bobbed back up again in full flower the next day.

Here is some information about it: www.gardeningknowhow.com/lawn-care/lawn-substitutes/blue-star-creeper-lawn/blue-star-creeper-plant.htm

I will search to see if you can get plants/seedlings.

I've looked at a photo of this on the RHS site, it does look very pretty.

Callistemon21 Wed 05-Jul-23 20:09:07

Then there's a whole bed of golden marjoram that's sometimes cut short
That's taking over my lawn at the back, along with the greener oregano.