8 ways to make the most of the thyme in your garden

Thyme is a fragrant and pretty addition to any garden. Find out the best ways to manage thyme in your garden and use it in your home.

The thyme species includes the classic culinary herb called common thyme, but you can also grow varieties that smell of lemon, caraway or nutmeg—some culinary, some not.

• Silver thyme has leaves banded in white, and woolly thyme has fuzzy foliage.

Some thyme varieties, including caraway, lemon and coconut, are ground-hugging evergreens and like to sprawl.

• Use them as soft edging for borders, plant them between roses or grow them as a fragrant crevice filler between stepping stones.

For a clever garden showpiece, create a living sundial with thyme.

1. Mark out a circle and divide it into 12 equal wedges, like a pie.
2. Alternate three or four thyme varieties, planting each wedge separately.
3. For a working sundial, make sure that the 12 o'clock position is oriented due north.
4. Install a gnomon, or pointer, to cast a shadow—perhaps a pretty birdhouse or a pole.
5. Set stones around the perimeter to mark the hours.

Warmth-loving thyme thrives in well-drained soil and full sun.

• Plant it around a stone or brick path so it can take advantage of the reflected heat and light.
• You also can tuck it into a stone wall, which provides extra warmth and quick drainage.

• For bushy plants, prune back the stems in spring if you live in a cool climate; in warm areas, prune in fall.
• Replace plants when they start to die back in the centre—usually after three to five years.

In the kitchen, drop whole sprigs into soups, stews or sauces; the tiny leaves will cook in a few minutes.

• Use thyme generously when roasting vegetables and when you feel like being creative with a rice or pasta dish.

Thyme flowers, which bloom in white, lavender, pink and magenta, lure bees.

• Place thyme wherever you need plants pollinated or want to watch bees at work.
• To prevent bees attracted by thyme from becoming a garden nuisance, plant it in a quiet corner where the bees are unlikely to be disturbed, or clip off flowers before they open.

Wrap dried thyme in handkerchiefs or napkins and place them in drawers, closets and bookshelves.

• The sachets add a fresh aroma and repel silverfish and other household pests.

Even with the best care, thyme lives for only a few years.

• Replace one or two plants annually so the patch doesn't die out all at once.