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 If
I were to name one plant that no northern New
Mexico garden should be without, it would be
creeping thyme.
A dainty,
mat-forming relative of culinary thyme, creeping
thyme comes in a delightful array of leaf and
flower colors. It naturally spreads to cover the
ground, filling in between flagstones, and
eventually creating a beautiful green lawn that
never needs mowing and is soft to walk on
barefoot.
Once
established, it is requires virtually no watering
and helps control weeds and keep the soil cool and
moist beneath. It is available as small plugs from
most garden centers. The first year, it grows
gradually, but the second year it comes into its
own, forming large, thick patches that continue to
expand.
I use it in
my garden paths, and as a ground cover between
other plants. Although it spreads eagerly, it is
easily removed from areas where it is not wanted
(you can simply cut off a portion of the mat with a
trowel and transplant it to a better location); it
does not come back from the roots like grasses and
more aggressive ground covers do.
 Although
a thyme lawn can not hold up under really heavy
wear (like playing sports, or trampling all day
long), it is perfectly durable under light foot
traffic. Like kitchen thyme, it is aromatic, and
releases a pleasant spicy fragrance when touched or
broken. It blooms in the spring, with each kind
having a slightly different blooming season.
Flowers range from pure white, through pink and
lavender to purple, and even to crimson
red.
In the arid
climate of New Mexico, there are few plants that
remain green and attractive from earliest spring to
winter, without extra water or other type of
attention. Creeping thyme is an excellent match for
our climate, and helps create the kind of garden
that takes care of itself, evolving naturally with
the passing years and seasons. It is a valued
helper in creating that established, natural look
that I so enjoy in my outdoor spaces.
If you
create an outdoor labyrinth or sacred circle for
meditation or healing, consider creeping thyme for
the pathways, especially if the labyrinth pattern
is made of natural rocks. The thyme lends its own
gentle, living energy to the space, and encourages
bare feet and slow, gentle movements.
I plant
creeping thyme wherever I live, and I know it
thrives and continues to share its beauty after
I am gone.
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