Growing Herbs: Thyme

Not only is thyme a delicious and versatile herb in the kitchen, it's also a hardy, easy-to-grow perennial that is indispensable in the garden. Use creeping thyme in rock gardens, to edge pathways, under roses or any place you need a good ground cover. Taller, upright varieties work well in borders, herb gardens and containers. Beautiful and edible! That makes thyme a must have plant for the garden. 

Growing and Harvesting Thyme

Thyme is incredibly easy to grow so much so that it can be considered to grow itself. It prefers those hot, dry areas of the garden where other plants might suffer. Plant thyme in full sun and don't fertilize. This herb actually prefers poorer soils. 

With over 100 varieties of thyme to choose from there is bound to be a cultivar perfect for your garden. The most common types are creeping thyme, which makes an excellent ground cover, lemon thyme, which has a stronger lemon scent and common thyme, which is an upright variety. 

In addition to adding fantastic fragrance to the garden, thyme flowers in colors ranging from pink to purple and sometimes white. Once thyme has flowered, trim plants back by half to encourage new growth and to keep the plant from getting too woody. 
 
Because of our snow cover during the winter months, thyme planted in the garden is obviously unavailable for fresh use at that time. However, thyme propagates easily by cuttings. In the early summer, pot up cuttings to bring inside during the fall and to enjoy throughout the winter.

To harvest thyme, simply cut entire stems from the plant. If using as garnish or on the grill, leave stems intact. If using for seasoning, strip leaves from stems and add to dishes. 

Thyme can be dried by placing whole stems in paper bags. Once herb is dried, remove leaves and store in an air-tight container. Thyme can also be frozen by placing whole stems in zip top bags or frozen in ice cubes for use in soups and sauces. 

Using Thyme

There is almost no dish that can't be improved by thyme. It works well with any meat including wild game, vegetables, tomatoes, black, kidney or pinto beans, and potatoes. Lemon thyme works especially well with fish and vegetables while common thyme is perfect for beef and venison. Use it in soups, sauces or infuse vinegar and oil with thyme for use on salads. 

Check allrecipes.com for their collection of recipes featuring thyme. Food.com also has an enticing recipe for Oven-baked Pork Loin that looks delicious and easy. 

Next week: Oregano, you can't have Italian food--or pizza!--without it.