Prime thyme
It’s a culinary staple, but why stick to the common herb when there are 350 to choose from?
EVERYBODY knows common thyme, a culinary herb with pungent leaves that are used to flavour many dishes. Even though this kitchen stalwart is the only one you’re ever likely to find in supermarkets, it’s not alone – there are actually a staggering number of closely related varieties.
In fact, there are more than 350 different thymes available in Britain that are ideal for planting in the ground or pots.
Snap up some established plants and they will grow quickly to provide a steady supply of tasty leaves. As a bonus, the aromatic foliage will fill the air with a spicy aroma on sunny days.
There’s great diversity among these evergreen herbs. Plants range in height from diminutive groundhuggers to bushy, 12in-tall shrubs. Leaves vary in size, scent, flavour and the way they look – some are highly ornamental with variegated or striking golden foliage.
From late May to July, thymes are topped by clusters of tiny, tubular flowers in a wide range of pink, purple, red and white shades. These blooms are a rich source of nectar and are a magnet to bees – thyme honey is valued by gourmets and was being praised as long ago as 29BC by ancient Roman poet Virgil.
Largely native to hot, dry parts of southern Europe, it gets its common and botanical name, thymus, from the Greek word thymos, meaning smoke – because sprigs of the herb were burnt in temples as incense.
It was held in great esteem by other ancient cultures; the Romans used its leaves to perfume rooms, while the Egyptians added thyme to oil applied to dead bodies before they were mummified.
Thyme was brought to our shores, along with the rest of Europe, by the all-conquering Roman army. In the Middle Ages it was de rigueur to add a few stems to a nosegay, a small bouquet that was strung around the neck to protect the wearer against bubonic plague.
Leaves were also added to poul- tices to treat open sores. The herb was closely associated with fairies in English folklore. Titania, queen of the fairies in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, slept on a bed of thyme, while a thyme cocktail from the 17th Century was thought to allow the drinker to see the mythical creatures.
Today, it’s more likely to be used to flavour all sorts of fish and meat recipes, and is a key ingredient of a classic bouquet garni. Those that are worth seeking out include Thymus ‘Tragrantissimus’, with narrow grey leaves that will add a spicy orange kick to recipes, and Thymus pulegiodes ‘Aureus’, whose lemon-scented green leaves turn yellow in summer and make an ideal foil for masses of lilac flowers.
Thymus vulgaris ‘ Silver Posie’ boasts silver variegated leaves and pale pink flowers. All three make 12in high by 8in clumps.
Thymus pulegiodes ‘Bertram Anderson’ has mauve flowers and broader leaves than most, splashed with gold. Forming a roundish, 4in by 8in wide mound, it’s one of many plants named in honour of Edward Bertram Anderson, a gardening author and founder member of the Alpine Garden Society, who died in 1971.
The culinary champion has to be Thymus x citriodorus ‘Golden King’. It makes a bushy, upright plant with bright green leaves edged with gold – these are fairly large, highly aromatic and pack a distinctive lemony punch. During June and July its lilac flowers act like a magnet to bees.
Not all thymes are worth eating but they still make good garden plants. Woolly thyme, Thymus pseudolanuginosus, forms a carpet of grey foliage under pale pink flowers, and Thymus serpyllum ‘Annie Hall’ makes an 18in-wide mat of small green leaves. Both can be planted between paving slabs, to release their scent when they are crushed underfoot. Like other herbs from the Mediterranean, thymes prefer a sunny spot and well-drained soil – they detest heavy ground and usually rot if their roots sit in damp soil over winter. After planting, spread a collar of horticultural grit around to protect leaves from wet soil. Or grow them in 6in pots or larger, filled with soil-based compost, such as John Innes No3 – they look good in containers made of terracotta, glazed ceramic or stone. Shield from winter wet by placing them in a rain shadow or a light, dry position and raise on to pot feet to allow excess water to drain freely.
Looking after thymes is easy. Although they are drought-tolerant water plants regularly during dry spells but infrequently at other times – don’t feed plants at all as this will encourage long, straggly stems with very few leaves. Keep plants neat and compact and encourage fresh growth by trimming lightly with secateurs when they have finished flowering.
As they are evergreen, culinary thymes can be picked all year round. However, the flavour of the leaves is much better in the summer.
Remove a few sprigs as required with a pair of scissors, taking care not to spoil the shape of plants. Fresh leaves can be picked, dried and stored for later use.