A test of thyme

A co-worker up north told me years ago that whenever a patch of grass died in her lawn, she planted creeping thyme in its place. So, having a patchwork quilt-like front lawn, I’ve turned a tiny section into a creeping thyme test site, planting a handful of varieties. Four have survived the summer heat (my front yard gets full sun all day long). Even one, tough spreader that makes it through the winter will be thrilling.

Garden Tour
I saw this technique enforced on James Island near Charleston, where a homeowner planted thyme and creeping phlox in her front yard amidst azaleas, magnolias and a variety of flowering shrubs. No grass. It looked lovely.

I was in and around Charleston visiting private gardens with a tour sponsored by Carolina Gardener magazine. The James Island gardens were casual; what I’d call woodland gardens. The Charleston sites in the historic district were more formal, as expected, and made the best use of small spaces.

One thing that struck me was that each garden made its own shade. Here on the coast, where the summer sun beats the ground, my friends and I complain about not having shade in our gardens. Well, these Charleston gardens—in an even hotter, more humid climate—manufactured shade with trees and shrubs of every height, supplemented by trellises and brick walls covered with vines heavy with roses, clematis and Confederate jasmine.

Of course, my neighbors and I are not about to surround our houses with brick walls here in Wilmington, but we can certainly plant trees and let our shrubs grow taller. Grouped together and positioned against the sun, they’ll create a cooler, shadier environment for plants easily sunburned.

Groundcovers
But back to groundcovers. A neighbor sent me an e-mail saying she’s “contemplating a no-grass front yard…lots of low-growing ground covers and small bushes, since I know dirt won’t ever be in fashion.” My sentiments exactly.

One groundcover that already looks like a winner for me is Angelina sedum, which changes color depending on the temperature: golden yellow in spring; orange in autumn. When I first saw it in a nursery a year ago it even had red tones. I have three under a Fringe tree along with prostrate rosemary and Lithodora.

Among the many groundcovers I’m experimenting with are Weihenstephaner gold sedum (doing very well), creeping Jenny (hanging in there but has lost the chartreuse color that attracted me) and creeping phlox (bloomed profusely in April). Sweet woodruff and Irish moss didn't make it. Too much sun and not enough water.

Ice plant is also doing well in a former sandpit near the sidewalk. It's heat and drought tolerant, but of course, I supplemented with good garden soil and covered with mulch. One Gaillardia (blanket flower) is struggling; the other dried up. And this stuff even grows on the beach (!).