Time for thyme

In my humble opinion, thyme is a must have for any herb garden.

According to that most reliable source of information – the World Wide Web – the general rule of
using herbs in cooking is – if in doubt use thyme. So if there’s one herb every edible garden
needs, it’s this one.

Already got a patch of this hardy perennial at your back door? Well, have you tried pizza thyme
or lemon thyme, or one of the other 100 different species? Or why not grow the low-growing
carpet variety amongst bricks or crazy paving for a scented, soft path you can walk over.

Now I’ve convinced you to plant thyme, all you need to do is pop down to your local
supermarket, Bunnings, or the Warehouse to grab some seedlings. Alternatively, head to our
online store at www.awapuni.co.nz. If you order online during October you'll also go in the draw
to win a $150 garden prize pack full of garden products from Tui and, of course, a selection of
our seedlings.

We sell thyme in both our Traditional Value and Pop’n’Grow ranges. Both seedling ranges are
grown with strong individual root systems. But Pop’n’Grow seedlings are perfect for beginners
and kids, because they’re packaged in strong biodegradable pots that protect the roots, making
them guaranteed to grow.

And, Traditional Value seedlings are perfect for the budget-conscious gardener because the
seedlings are wrapped in recycled newspaper, so the value is in the plants and not the
packaging.

Once you’ve selected your seedlings you need to find a well-drained, sunny spot to plant them.
Don’t have much of a garden? Never fear, thyme grows well in pots, hanging baskets, planters
or walls with soil, such as a retaining wall.

I’m also a fan of planting it in the corners of my vege garden which can’t be filled by a more
substantial plant.

When you’ve found the perfect place to plant, dig into the soil a general fertiliser, such as
nitrophoska blue, and plant your seedlings. Don’t worry about the fertiliser if you’re planting in
pots or a hanging basket – just use a good quality potting mix instead.

And that’s all there is to it. You can harvest your thyme straight away but it’s best to give it
some time to get established. The longer you leave it, the more leaves you’ll have to harvest
later on.