"Growing Thyme in your herb garden" Growing thyme in your garden may be more exciting than you thought. Apparantly man's belief in thyme's aphrodisiac properties goes back to Egyptian times. So be prepared!
Thyme has always been considered useful in treating colds and flu. One of my daughters swears by a thyme tisan at the first sign of a sniffle. It nearly always works! Thyme species vary greatly, but the most common ones really are a gardener's best friend. Go for regular garden thyme or lemon thyme. The plants smell divine.
 Growing Thyme - position
Thyme is a perennial and once positioned shouldn't really be moved. Choose your spot well. Thyme plants like a dry sunny place in the garden. They do very well over rockeries or stone walls. As long as the soil is well-drained, your thyme plants should be happy. Plant one near the back door so you can bruise a few leaves when you walk by. The smell will hover for ages.
Start thyme seeds in early spring indoors and keep warm until the summer really arrives. Plant outside during the summer. You won't be able to harvest very many leaves, if any, during this first year of growth. It's a long process to get a healthy thyme plant from seed, but it can be done very successfully.. Thompson & Morgan supply online herb seeds.
Or you could buy in a few plants that have already done the hard bit! Crocus UK have thyme plants available for UK deliveries...
After 3 or 4 years, thyme will need dividing. Dig up carefully and pull roots apart gently. Re-plant the divided plants around the garden or give away in pots. Herbs make lovely gifts - practical, usable house plants! Thyme won't grow in heavy or boggy ground. Make sure the ground is well-drained. Water regularly - but not too much! Pick as you need the leaves, and harvest just as the plant is starting to flower, or simply leave to die back.
Storing Thyme:
Like most herbs, thyme will always provide a better flavour when used fresh. A few leaves tossed into a salad will liven up the tastebuds! Or add a lemon thyme leaf to a long summer lemonade.
Drying Dry thyme by hanging stems upside down in a dry airy and fairly dark place, or lay on trays and turn regularly. Crumble leaves when completely dry and store in an airtight glass jar. Use for tisans through the winter months. Freezing Pick stems at flowering point. Leave a few in the herb bed to bloom and attract the butterflies and bees. Freeze quickly on trays and store in sealable freezer bags. Remember to label.
Thyme leaves are high in vitamins and, as mentioned above, thyme tisane helps fight colds and flu. Thyme also has anti-fungal properties and can help treat skin sores. It is also said to reduce flatulence, so a cup of thyme tea after a large plate of beans wouldn't go amiss! And for healthy eating!: Add a little thyme to all 'herby' recipes. Lemon thyme is an excellent addition to fish or cheese meals. Add chopped or whole young leaves to sauces and salads.
Happy Gardening! Herb Gardening: Herbs are becoming recognised more and more as superfoods, as if we didn't know that really! 'Herb Gardening' has been beautifully put together by the publisher (Crowood Press) into a well presented book with full colour photos.
 Along with the growing instructions for forty different herbs, there are lots of great ideas, including culinary delights and medicinal alternatives. You'll also find gardening advice as well as some ideas on planning a herb garden. Order it now direct from the
publisher... Herb Gardening
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"Bressingham Pink Thyme"
