4 Types Of Thyme To Grow Between Pavers For An Aromatic Walkway

Have you ever dreamed of creating a gorgeous aromatic walkway through your garden that delights you with its spicy fragrance every time you take a stroll around your yard? If you have a path that's laid with pavers, you can easily achieve this by planting thyme either in the gaps or replacing some of the paving stones with a mass planting of this fragrant herb. Better yet, you can choose from different types of thyme or mix and match them for a true sensory experience. As a bonus, thyme is also a culinary herb, so not only can you add some spicy scents to your yard, but you can easily snip a few sprigs every now and then to add to your cooking. To help you get started, we've identified four types of thyme that would be perfect.

To grow thyme between your paving stones, ideally you want to select one or more of the low-growing varieties. There are over 300 different thyme species to choose from, but some of the best ones for this landscaping project include mother of thyme (Thymus praecox), creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum), red creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum 'Coccineus'), and miniature thyme (Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin'). Most of these have a creeping habit, which makes them an ideal choice. While these species or cultivars can generally handle a bit of foot traffic, planting them in between your pavers is best so that the plants aren't constantly crushed underfoot. That's also why knowing exactly how to plant creeping thyme between pavers for a gorgeous landscape is important.

Thymus praecox, commonly known as mother of thyme or creeping thyme, is a gorgeous perennial that can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8. The fuzzy leaves are delightfully fragrant, and the plant produces pretty pink to purple flowers in summer, which are magnets for bees and other pollinators. This plant prefers well-drained soil and is happiest when grown in full sun, which is why you shouldn't plant creeping thyme under shade trees. It only grows up to 6 inches in height but will spread its stems along the ground to reach a width of about 1 foot.

Another species to consider is Thymus serpyllum, commonly known as creeping thyme or wild thyme. It will grow as a perennial in zones 4 through 9. Once again, the leaves are hairy and have a lovely fragrance when you brush against them. This variety also has tiny purple or pink flowers in summer that will be loved by local bees and butterflies. As a bonus, wild thyme is a host plant for the common blue and the large blue butterfly. As a low-growing plant, it only reaches a height of around 3 inches and a spread of up to 10 inches. You should grow this plant in full sun and well-drained soil.

As thyme is such a popular garden favorite, plant breeders have used the best species and experimented with them to create some stunning cultivars. One of these is Thymus serpyllum 'Coccineus', which enjoys similar growing conditions and traits to the original species. Instead of pink or purple flowers, it produces beautiful rose-red blooms in summer, hence the common name of red creeping thyme. Once again, it can be grown in zones 4 through 8 and needs well-drained soil. If you combine this with one or more of the other varieties, you could enjoy not only their delicious fragrance but also some delightful color variations when these plants bloom.

Another interesting cultivar you might want to grow is Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin', which is commonly referred to as miniature thyme. It's quite a diminutive plant, only reaching a maximum height of 3 inches but can spread to 1.5 feet and grows well in zones 4 through 8. Like its parent species, it has pink or purple flowers, but these mainly appear in spring. This allows you to add even more variation to your landscaping because when you combine miniature thyme with a few of the other types, you can have blooms right through the warmer months of the year. Finally, if you're not sure how to successfully grow a creeping thyme plant, just remember that it needs full sun, well-drained soil, and minimal water. Keep it trimmed to avoid thin, leggy growth.