Growing lemon thyme plants (Thymus x citriodus) are a lovely addition to an herb garden, rock garden or border or as container plants. A popular herb grown not only for its culinary uses but for its attractive foliage, lemon thyme plants can be planted to form a ground cover or among pavers along a path or patio. The tiny flowers are a bee attractor, aiding in the pollination of surrounding plants.
From a refreshing tea to a classic sauce for roast lamb and new potatoes, mint is one of the most useful culinary herbs. It’s also one of the best herbs for attracting beneficial insects into the garden, such as hoverflies, lacewings and butterflies.
Grow mint in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. It’s best to grow mint in a pot as it can compete with neighbouring plants when planted in the ground. Harvest as and when you need to, allowing some stems to bear flowers for pollinators. Cut back to ground level in autumn and mulch with well-rotted compost annually.
Most mints are invasive, so you may want to restrict their root run by planting in a bottomless bucket sunk into the ground. Or grow them in a pot in free-draining, soil-based compost.
For the best flavour, keep cutting mint to stimulate new leafy growth. After flowering is over in late summer, cut back plants to just above soil level and feed with a high-nitrogen fertiliser to encourage a fresh flush of leaves for autumn picking.
In autumn, divide to make new plants. Lift a clump and chop it into pieces using a spade. Discard the old centre and replant the vigorous outer edges. Divide congested pot-grown mint in autumn. Sit containers on pot feet to avoid waterlogging over winter.