Thyme is one of those herbs that every Irish kitchen garden needs and, once planted, you will wonder how you managed without it. This Provençal variety is the real thing: intensely aromatic grey-green leaves with a concentrated flavour that dried supermarket thyme cannot come close to. Plant it once and it comes back year after year, needing almost nothing from you in return.
As a hardy evergreen perennial, Timo di Provenza forms neat, bushy clumps that stay productive for three to four years before needing replacement. The small leaves carry a warm, earthy flavour that is essential for roast chicken, lamb, soups, stews and tomato sauces. It is also one of the easiest herbs to dry at home. Cut a few stems in summer, hang them in a warm room, and you will have your own dried thyme for the winter months.
🌱 Sowing: February to June (indoors from Feb, outdoors from April)
☀️ Light: Full sun
🌡️ Germination: 14 to 28 days (slow, be patient)
📏 Height: 20 to 30 cm, compact evergreen
🪴 Spacing: 20 to 30 cm between plants
⏳ Harvest: Spring to autumn, perennial regrowth each year
🌿 Growing tips for Ireland Surface sow onto moist compost and press gently. Do not cover the seeds as thyme needs light to germinate. This is a slow germinator, 14 to 28 days is normal and sometimes longer. Do not give up on the tray too early. Keep moist but not wet, and place somewhere warm.
Transplant outdoors from May into the sunniest, most well drained spot you have. Thyme hates wet feet, so if your Irish garden has heavy clay soil, grow it in a pot, a raised bed, or mix plenty of grit into the planting hole. Once established, thyme is remarkably tough. It handles drought, poor soil, frost and neglect without complaint. Trim lightly after flowering to keep plants bushy and prevent them going woody. Replace plants every three to four years when they start to thin out.
