Sometimes it can be tricky to identify the veracious ground cover for a particular area of your garden .
This plant require too much sun . That one likes shade . And this other one you ’ve used all over the place — and you desire something new .
Have you considered using culinary herbs as ground cover ? add together these multipurpose edibles to your garden solves not only the problem of filling an empty distance , but also enable you to liven up dinner !
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Judith Craft , primary gardener for the herbaceous plant garden for theAustin Herb Societyin Austin , Texas , likes herb because many of them will bloom in the nicety .
She says , “ herbaceous plant offer much more variety and texture in the garden than some of the other groundcovers . ” She adds that some herb — such as trailing rosemary — are useful as corrosion prevention tools . Plant them on a bank or near a retaining bulwark to keep soil in place , she propose .
Use groundcover herbs between Stone on a walkway , so when you tread on them , you get a little fragrancy boost in the aviation , says Skip Richter , County Extension Agent in Horticulture withTexas A&M Agrilife Extension Service .
How to Choose?
With a large range of produce habits , colors , shapes , sizes , and blossom uncommitted , opt a groundcover herbaceous plant can be fun .
Some consideration before you make a selection :
Now , glorious as they are , there is one caveat to using culinary herbs as groundcover .
We ’ll divvy up this later in the article , but for now , countenance ’s wait at some herbaceous plant you might need to habituate in your garden .
Thyme
Light essential : Full sunHeight:2 - 3”Foot traffic : Some varietiesBloom : Lavender flowers in mid - leaping
As many as 300 varieties of thyme tempt us during a visit to the garden memory board , but one of the most lovely types for groundcover isThymus praecox ‘ Coccineus ’ , otherwise sleep with as “ creeping thyme , ” “ wild thyme ” or sometimes “ mother of thyme . ”
harmonise to theUniversity of Arkansas Division of AgricultureExtension and Research Cooperative Extension Service , “ creep thyme is primarily used as an ornamental ground cover in rock gardens , herb gardens , as a front - of - borderline edging , and between pavers in garden paths . ”
If you ’re looking to cover a way of life , keep an eye out for woolly thyme ( Thymus pseudolanuginosus ) , ‘ Doone Valley ’ thyme ( Thymus x‘Doone Valley ’ ) , andThymus serphyllum , another variety that is sometimes referred to as “ creeping . ”
Learn more about mature thymeandcooking with thyme .
Sweet Woodruff
Light requirements : Part tint to full shadeHeight:6 - 12”Foot traffic : NoBloom : White flowers in late spring to mid - summer
Sweet woodruff ( Galium odoratum ) is an undeservedly oftentimes - draw a blank herb that does well in shady area in the landscape . This plant does particularly well underpineandblack walnut tree trees , which are notorious for their inhospitality to neighboring plant .
Woodruff ’s scent has been compare to freshly mown grass .
The heyday and farewell of sweet woodruff can be dried and used for raging or iced tea . This herbaceous plant also star in May wine , a lick made from white wine-coloured and flavored with woodruff and fruits such as Ananas comosus , strawberry , and orange .
Creeping Rosemary
Light requirement : SunHeight:12 - 24”Foot traffic : Hardy enough to hold , but too grandiloquent to be practical on a pathBloom : Lavender or white
Also screw as creeping , trailing , or prostrate rosemary ( Rosmarinus prostratus ) , this is the plant life even passing neighbour tike know to pinch off in order inhale its typical and satisfying aroma .
With a deep root organization , this flora does well on a cheery bank or incline .
In the kitchen , rosemary is used as a seasoningfor meat , poultry dishes , andpotatoes . But in general , prostrate rosemary ’s tang is 2nd violin to that of the upright flesh , which is less bitter and more acute .
memorise more about rise rosemary , and thecold hardy cultivars .
Wintergreen
Light requirements : Part to full shadeHeight:6”Foot traffic : Will tolerate some , but not muchBloom : lily-white with pink pinch , late spring through summertime
Wintergreen ( Gaultheria procumbens ) is a salutary choice for forest - same status . It does not like heat and humidity .
Wintergreen ’s minty - smelling leave are used in pain - fight back tea , and oil from the farewell is commercially used as a flavoring in mucilage andhard candy , but wintergreen all-important petroleum should be avoid in preparation .
The industrial plant ’s Berry make a delicious addition to meth cream .
Mint
brightness level requirements : Shade to part shadeHeight:1 - 24”Foot traffic : LightBloom : snowy , pink , lavender
Mint like moist , suspect , area , and it is an extremely aggressive grower , so unless you want it take in your entire garden , you ’ll desire to immobilize it in with hardscape or metal flash , buried 8 ” inscrutable .
Corsican peck ( Mentha requienii ) is a low - growing ( 1 - 3 ” ) mint that is peculiarly well - suited to fill in between stepping stone , as it will tolerate a little foot traffic .
Culinarily , mint is delicious in teas and other beverages , as well in many Asian cup of tea . For more tips , read our arise pathfinder .
Oregano
Light requirements : SunHeight:3 - 18”Foot dealings : Some varietiesBloom : White , pink , lavender
Anherbal superstarrenowned for its must - have flavor in pizza pie and alimentary paste sauce , some mixed bag of oregano also make a durable ground cover .
‘ Betty Rollins ’ ( Origanum marjorana ‘ Betty Rollins ’ ) grow to a stature of 6 ” and cower marjoram ( Origanum vulgare ‘ Humile ’ ) cursorily spreads to mold a dense flatness less than 3 ” magniloquent .
The Austin Herb Society ’s Judith Craft get laid to put some of the more ticklish varieties of winter sweet along a footpath . “ When you sweep up against it with your articulatio talocruralis , it free a beautiful aroma , ” she says .
instruct more about grow oregano here .
The Caveat We Promised
With luck , you ’re already planning which fragrant herbs you ’ll put in in which areas of your garden .
Now , mind that you do n’t happen the office I did with my young son . Intending to toss it into a sauce I was making , I snipped some oregano from an area near the kids ’ basketball finish .
note me , my son asked , “ Mom , are you going to use that in our dinner party ? ” I affirm that was my plan . He nodded thoughtfully and went back to tossing the ball , and I steer for the kitchen .
About 3½ min later , he bulleted into the theater and straight to the stove . “ Have you contribute those folio to the sauce yet ? ! ” I had n’t , and asked him why he was so interested . Nervously drift his glimpse about the room , he sheepishly replied , “ Um , sometimes I make water over there , where you pick it . ”
Ok , then .
Fortunately , I have a number of maculation of oregano grow around the gardens . I discipline the next root with him before snipping , and then , even so , dampen this 2d batch of cuttingsquitethoroughly .
There’s No Place Like Home
Make the most of your garden blank by installing plant that are not only beautiful , but are also utile . Any kitchen gardener will enjoin you there ’s nothing more satisfying than use up from your own garden .
Start planting today and you ’ll be tot homegrown flavors to your home - cook meals in no time at all .
And formore herbaceous plant scout , be certain to check out some our these front-runner :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Originally published February 10th , 2019 . Last update : April 3rd , 2023 . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Gretchen Heber
