I thought we would take a through the Thyme garden, since it has all been growing really well. There aren’t any noticeable differences in how the different varieties have done as far as growth, but there are clear differences between the varieties.

The Lime Thyme is on the corner and is a little more prostrate than some of the others. It is also that bright green “lime” color and has a nice citrusy scent and flavor.

The French thyme is much more upright and has a silvery color, especially to the older growth. The interior of the plant has started to get woody already. This one has your traditional thyme scent and flavor.

The Summer thyme is a little more green than the French thyme, but it is still very upright and vigorous. I believe this one is supposed to be a little less hardy, so we will have to watch it to see if it comes back next year.

This is the plain Lemon thyme (as compared to the variegated lemon thyme). It is also very vigorous and fairly upright in growth habit. You can see a few of the new shoots have some lighter yellow coloration, even though it isn’t a variegated variety. It has an excellent lemon scent and flavor.

The Rose Scented thyme has a dusty grey-green color and the leaves seems to be a little thicker and fleshier than some of the other varieties. It is also a little more prostrate than some of the varieties, but not a super low-growing “walkable” variety. It definitely has a faint floral or rose scent on top of the thyme scent.

The Spicy Orange thyme is a very prostrate variety and clearly has a very different appearance from the Rose Scented (right) and Variegated Lemon (left). The plant has a strong spicy orange scent (very aptly named!) and feels a little bit…almost succulent? Like a sedum? I’m sure it would be fine to cook with, but the texture seems a little strange. It is holding its own against its taller neighbors though.

Mmm…Variegated Lemon thyme… It’s both pretty and lemony! Sometimes the variegated thymes are little bit wimpy, but this one seems to be in good shape. The rainy summer probably helped it out.

The Nutmeg Thyme has the cutest, tiniest leaves and a very delicate appearance. Whether it has any actual nutmeg scent or flavor…well…let me know if you can tell, will you? It obviously has gotten overgrown by its larger neighbors a bit too.

The English thyme is looking good and is again more upright. It doesn’t seem to have gotten as gangly and woody as the French and Summer thymes.

Last, in the opposite corner, is the Mint thyme. Like the Nutmeg thyme it has very small, delicate leaves and stems. It seems to be a little more vigorous though. It also has a somewhat stronger hint of mint scent and flavor. I’m not sure I would figure out what it was based solely on the scent or flavor, but at least there’s a little bit of something there.

Have a great weekend!