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THYME
Why do we have so many thymes? When you've collected as many herbs as we have, some groups are bound to be your favorites. Each time we visit an herb specialty nursery, I head for thymes, knowing I'll probably find a completely new scent, leaf shape, growth habit or flower color. Most thymes are hardy for us, year after year because we nourish (compost at planting time and, ideally, annually), hold back on water, and we site them in a raised bed. They thrive in our 2 tiered (1 & 2 ft. high) bed with brick walls that provide the height and warmth. Pick any food, there is a thyme for it from savory to sweet. Medicinally, the active ingredient "thymol" is a strong disinfectant and antiviral component, so it's used heavily during the flu season. Ben & Joshua get thyme baths for coughs and it's an ingredient in their vapor rubs, adult "Listerine".