Skip The Herbicides: Grow A Lemon-Scented Ground Cover To Block Out Weeds Instead

Have you ever stopped to think that there may be a prettier and better-smelling way to keep pesky weeds out of your landscaping? While herbicides are a fast and efficient method for killing unwanted vegetation, the chemicals could accidentally affect other nearby plants. If you're concerned with being exposed to chemical treatments, this ground cover plant helps to keep your yard free of weeds and leaves behind a lemon scent. A few different varieties of thyme make wonderful ground cover, but pink lemonade thyme has fragrant perks. This herb has a strong lemon scent, similar to lemon thyme (Thymus x citriodorus), though it's more of an ornamental type. Pink lemonade thyme is a fast-growing ground cover with dense leaves that make a sort of mat, helping this beautiful herb to choke out any weeds that get in its way. Not only will your yard have better weed control, but it'll give off a delectable lemon smell.

The 'Pink Lemonade' variety of thyme was introduced by Mountain Valley Growers, a USDA certified organic nursery. Besides stretching out its deep green, tight leaves, this herb produces gorgeous pink blooms, making it a low-maintenance flowering ground cover that butterflies love. According to Mountain Valley Growers, their pink lemonade thyme ground cover was able to cover a four foot diameter within a year, and within three years it overtook 50 square feet. This voracious growth is what makes pink lemonade thyme such effective ground cover for preventing weeds.

Generally, thyme is one of the best ground cover options for yards with full sun, but the pink lemonade variety will tolerate a little partial shade. In order to ensure your herbs are able to grow efficiently and stop weeds, make sure the soil is fertile before planting. Place plugs of pink lemonade thyme through the space, keeping them approximately eight inches apart. Soon, the plants will spread throughout the area, covering the bare ground and preventing weeds from having enough room or resources to grow. When you initially plant your thyme, ensure the soil around the plants remains moist until the roots start establishing. After that, this herb is typically a drought-tolerant plant that should not be overwatered.

While other kinds of thyme, such as woolly, creeping, mother-of-thyme, and lemon types, can also make for good ground cover, pink lemonade thyme has some specific benefits. This fragrant variant is better for larger areas of open ground. Because it grows so quickly, pink lemonade thyme would overtake small spots like the spaces between pavers or stepping stones. Plus, this thyme grows rather low to the ground with a bright green color, resembling grass. For flower lovers, the pink lemonade variant is the obvious choice, as it tends to produce more blossoms and flowers longer than other types. Pink lemonade thyme will continue growing beautiful pink flowers throughout summer after other herbs have lost their blooms.