Creeping Woolly Thyme
Thymus pseudolanuginosus, also referred to as Wooly (sometimes spelled Woolly) thyme is the most beautiful pale blue green colour.
As with most other varieties and types of thyme, Wooly thyme loves drought, and will grow in the poorest of soils as long as the drainage is perfect.
Don’t try and grow this in a damp area, or under eaves, and it will be totally happy, eventually spreading to around 50cm across.
The individual plants eventually blend together to form a carpet, and it’s so low and creeping as to be pretty well flat.
In time, there is a chance that the older plants could start to get thin in the middle, but generally, new growth with cover it up and root in around it making a sturdy matt.
One of the lowest growing thymes, Thymus pseudolanuginosus makes the perfect thyme lawn, not only because of the fuzzy texture, but also because it rarely blooms so eliminating the problem of bees.
This is a good thing, because you’ll want to take your sandals off to rub your toes in it and enjoy the rough feel of the foliage.
Dogs will love it too, for drowsing on.
It’s perfect for softening stone or wooden steps, and the strong root system stops soil from eroding.
The preparation of the area is the most labor intensive; landscape contractors can quote you a price for the tilling of the soil, addition of pea gravel or other sandy material, and even for planting the plugs.
Plant them at a spacing of 20-30cm apart (8-12″) – it may look a little sparse, but will fill in between in about two to three season.
