Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin'The Diminutive, Tiny Elfin ThymeThymus serphyllum ‘Elfin’ or Elfin thyme is without a doubt the most perfect thyme to plant in pathways, patios and as a thyme lawn. The very fine, compact growth of medium green tiny leaves is covered in pink blooms for about three weeks at the end of June. This is a very pretty plant, seldom bothered by die-back or diseases.I plant it specifically to attract bees because of the huge quantities of wild pollinators and domestic honeybees that come for the nectar it produces in abundance. The honey made from all kinds of thyme is sought after by the connoisseur. Pruned back to control the growth just encourages it to grow thicker than ever. I love the texture, like a rough carpet to wriggle your toes in. 
How to grow Elfin ThymePlant in very well drained soil; if you have clay soil, add some turkey grit or small gravel for extra drainage. Don’t plant it under eaves or where it will get winter wet, and don’t use salt based de-icers as this will kill it.Grown in full sun or at least four to six hours of sun will give it compact flat growth. A slightly mounding growth habit will result from lower sun exposure. As a named variety, Elfin thyme is only reproduced by vegetative propagation, as if it’s seed propagated it won’t always come true. Canadian gardeners: Buy your Thyme plants at the Garden Shop!
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Xeriscaping - Landscaping with Less Water
Gardening with a Light Hand on the Land
The focus is on landscaping with easy care drought tolerant plants like Sedum, Sempervivum and thyme and using natural materials to build rock retaining walls and it's easy to see why.
It used to be that once in a while these kinds of plants would come to the fore, and successfully maneuver dry summers, but now it's obvious that these are the most suited to what is becoming the norm.
Interested in learning how to build a patio? See this page for patio design ideas.
Seeing how beautiful these unique landscapes are and how well they perform in challenging conditions will encourage others to find unique plants to use in their own xeric garden.
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