Thyme Doone Valley

Description

Thymus ‘Doone Valley’ – lemon creeping thyme

Botanical name: Thymus ‘Doone Valley’
Common names: Creeping lemon thyme
Family: Lamiaceae (mint family)
Plant type: Evergreen aromatic sub-shrub
Habit: Low, creeping, mat-forming
Pot size: 1 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 8–10cm tall × 30cm spread
Foliage: Tiny, aromatic dark green leaves flecked and splashed with gold, forming a low mat; evergreen
Flowers: Clusters of lilac-pink flowers in summer (June–August)
Scent: Lemon-scented aromatic foliage
Aspect / light: Full sun
Soil: Sharply drained; poor to average; tolerates lime; dislikes wet; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H6 (hardy, to about −20°C); USDA zones 5–9
Exposure: Open, hot, dry, sunny
Native range: Garden form; thymes are native to Europe and the Mediterranean
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Generally considered non-toxic to people and pets

Thymus ‘Doone Valley’ is a creeping lemon-scented thyme with dark green gold-flecked leaves and lilac-pink flowers, forming a low fragrant mat. Superb between paving, in gravel and as groundcover.

GardenAdvice notes

A low, aromatic evergreen sub-shrub, thyme is one of the toughest and most useful of all herbs, forming spreading, fragrant mats of tiny aromatic leaves smothered in summer with flowers that bees find irresistible. It thrives on hot, dry, poor, sharply drained soils and is wonderfully drought-tolerant.

Growing & planting

Plant in spring in sharply drained, poor to average soil in full sun — thyme needs sun and excellent drainage and dislikes rich, wet, heavy ground, which is its main enemy. It tolerates lime and drought. It is ideal for planting in the gaps between paving and on the tops of walls, where it will spread into fragrant mats. Improve heavy soil with plenty of grit. Space about 25–30cm apart.

Care & maintenance

Low-maintenance. Trim over lightly after flowering to keep it neat and compact and to stop it going woody, but avoid cutting hard back into the old, bare wood. Water only while establishing; thereafter it is very drought-tolerant. Keep it on the dry side, especially over winter, to avoid rot.

Propagation

• Cuttings: Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer.
• Division: Divide or detach rooted pieces of creeping types in spring.
• Layering: Creeping thymes root as they spread and rooted pieces can be lifted.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free in a sunny, well-drained spot. Its main enemy is wet, heavy soil, which causes rot, and old plants go woody and bare in the middle. Otherwise little troubled by pests.

Uses in the garden

Superb for planting between paving and stepping stones, in gravel, cascading over walls and raised beds, in rockeries and as fragrant, drought-tolerant groundcover in a sunny, well-drained spot, releasing its scent when trodden on or brushed.

Wildlife value

Thyme is one of the very best plants of all for pollinators: its summer flowers are absolutely alive with bees and other beneficial insects.

Toxicity & safety

This herb is generally regarded as non-toxic to people and pets.

GardenAdvice tip

‘Doone Valley’ is a lovely creeping thyme with a lemon scent and gold-flecked leaves, making a fragrant, colourful mat between paving or over a wall. As with all creeping thymes, give it full sun and really sharp drainage, and plant it where you’ll brush or tread on it to release that lovely lemony scent.

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