Lemon thyme - a fragrant plant for a spicy flower bed
Many gardeners prefer to grow plants in their beds that are both decorative and useful. One of these is lemon thyme. It is a small but very lush shrub with variegated leaves and an amazing aroma. How did he earn his popularity and how difficult is it to plant a beautiful and spicy bed in the garden?
Characteristic features of the plant
There are more than 4 hundred varieties of thyme, but lemon can rightfully be considered the most famous and decorative. It grows in a low and highly branching bush, forming many vertical shoots. They can go to the sides up to 80 cm, and then the bush resembles a bump or pillow. Thyme sprigs have 4 edges and are slightly pubescent on the ribs. They are densely covered with small, not more than 1 cm in length, oval-shaped leaves on short petioles. The leaf plate itself is dark green, but the edges are surrounded by a white border. The tips of the leaves curl downward. At the end of the season, the stem branches are lignified.
In young lemon thyme bushes, the border has a yellow tint, which gradually disappears.
The height of the bush itself usually does not exceed 15 cm, but at the beginning of summer, the shoots begin to tie buds and stretch to almost the same height. Thyme blooms all summer with bell-shaped pink flowers, collected in a spike-shaped inflorescence. They bloom on the stems themselves.
Thyme owes its name to the characteristic scent of lemon, which brightens when the leaf is rubbed. At the same time, all parts of the plant smell, including shoots and flowers.
Lemon thyme varieties
Most often, the following plant varieties are grown in the garden:
- Donna Varley. The bush is no more than 10 cm high, the leaves are golden with a green tint. Blooms in May-August with light lilac flowers.
- Silver Queen. The height of the bush without peduncles is 15 cm with a curtain width of 80 cm. The leaves are green with a white border. Blooms all summer with pink flowers.
- Golden Duarf. Fast-growing bush 15-30 cm high with green leaves covered with yellow spots. It blooms with pink inflorescences during the summer.
- Bertram Anderson. One of the tallest varieties up to 20 cm tall with yellow leaves and lavender flowers. Blooms in June-July.
Lemon thyme: cultivation features
In order for the bushes to retain their original color, it is better to plant them in a sunny place. Then the curtain will be denser than in partial shade, where the stems will begin to stretch. Thyme multiplies well by sowing seeds in open ground, which can be carried out in the spring or before winter. When the seedlings grow up, they just need to thin out. If desired, planting is carried out in seedlings.
Lemon thyme maintenance is simple as it is quite unpretentious. To water planting is necessary in moderation, if it rains - this is quite enough. To give the bushes a neat look in the fall, you need to trim the tops. But the plant hibernates not very well, because its roots grow superficially. In regions with cold winters, thyme needs shelter.