We’ve Got Thyme!

Thyme is on my top ten favorite herbs list. It’s very versatile, and makes a wonderful rub for most types of meat. It’s also a great ground cover in the garden, easy to grow, and smells wonderful when you walk by and brush up against it.

Thyme comes in many flavors and colors, when you plant them side by side it can make your garden look like a patchwork quilt. Lemon and English thyme are my favorites, but I’m always up for trying new varieties.

Thyme is a perennial for most gardeners (all the way up to zone 5 in the US), it is a little delicate and more prone to disease than many herbs. I find myself replacing thyme plants every few years, whenever we have a rough winter or extra wet summer I seem to lose a thyme plant here and there.

Thyme can be clipped fresh anytime during the summer, but the best flavor is in the early spring, right after it starts growing, and before it flowers.

I love to combine thyme with tarragon, basil, or oregano in a marinade of olive oil and vinegar for fish and chicken. Just crush the herb leaves and chop them fine then add them to your oil and vinegar (or wine) mixture.