I am so tired of trying to kill off weeds to keep these rocks ‘clean’ so I was thinking of using creeping thyme. I’m in southern Michigan. (Please ignore the overflowing mulch. It just rained a lot and my yard flooded a bit)
Thanks for the advice!
by SausageBeer
15 Comments
Yes. Just be aware it does die back a bit in patches, so it can look patchy after a while. It also needs regular water the first year if you have a dry spell
It’s also really easy to start by seed and it’s easy to split up established plants, which is important because at 8-10 dollars a plant, this kind of project can get expensive fast.
Elfin creeping thyme has been the fastest growing for me, and the woolen variety has stayed small, but I’m in Colorado, so local suggestions from a smaller nursery may be the way to go.
In my experience, creeping thyme doesn’t stop weeds. You just have to work around the thyme to pull the weeds out, which is annoying.
Could? I guess.
Should? I don’t think so. I’m sure native or at the very least other plants from the Americas (preferably North America) that are not invasive would be better. If you would like other plants, I’m sure other some mint family plants native to North America would be good.
You need bigger stepping stones, or no stones. Those would be hard to walk on.
I don’t know. CAN you?
Could use creeping phlox or moss phlox, to go the native route
Remove the pebbles, increase your pavers for a comfortable gait and use native moss phlox instead of creeping thyme.
Is this area shaded by chance? Moss might do well here.
Check your watch, its creeping thyme
Try to find native ground covers that work in your zone, as well as microclimate of sun, shade, soil type, and moisture content. Besides the numerous pollinator and insect support, most native plants to your area are very low maintenance because it’s their habitat! Native strawberry has worked as a ground cover for me in MD zone 7b, very resilient, grows over anything and I don’t water it unless I feel like it, or it’s very hot/dry
https://preview.redd.it/mpxf2u1kaxpe1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8007f1912f6c86ca79ac0d109b86d13ee94a2990
Here’s my parking strip. I still pull the occasional weed out. Not terrible now that it’s mostly filled in. It does die back in spots and I replace plants occasionally.
I know you probably don’t want to hear it. But if you use that walkway regularly, grass is the most resilient plant.
Additional info for OP and everyone jumping on them to tell them not to go creeping thyme for ecological reasons:
Creeping thyme is not listed on any Michigan state noxious plant registries. No airborne seeds, and it doesn’t propagate from cuttings freely. It may not be as high benefit to specialist native pollinators as native plants, but it’s much better than turf grass. It’s fine.
Some Michigan native stoppable options, based on what I’m using as OP’s neighbor slightly south in IL.
-Creeping/moss phlox/phlox subulata is slow to grow and spread, and difficult to start from seed, but looks similar to creeping thyme.
-Wild strawberry/fragaria virginiana is a fast growing+spreading ground cover. May not be ideal for areas with foot traffic since it isn’t *terribly* sturdy, and also when it’s fruiting, berries go smush. Nice for borders.
-Ground plum/astragalus crassicarpus isn’t as dense or showy as creeping thyme or phlox, but it has similar small leaves and grows faster.
-Yarrow is a great hardy steppable. It does need to be cut back (I do mine with a scythe) to keep it as ground cover, and usually won’t bloom at that height, but is very soft. There’s some debate over its nativity, but the Xerces society recommends it for their native pollinator gardens.
-Various native violet species are lovely host plants that readily spread in colonies once established. Love violets.
OP, whatever you
***k creeping thyme. It’s a nightmare. You’ll be picking out whatever weeds you don’t want and you’ll be fighting creeping thyme too. Maybe get a tray of a hardy sedge of some kind and plant that all around the actually block out whatever is growing underneath.