Find out all about the benefits of thyme, the thyme herb is one of my favourite plants, not only is useful medicinally, it also make a fantastic cover plant in the garden. I like the way that it creeps and covers and the shock of pretty small flowers that spring from it.
My grandmother always used to plant thyme around her ponds, she would scatter seeds in between the paving stones around the pond and soon there would be a covering of springy thyme. We used to sit there and as you sat on the thyme and crushed it there was a wonderful aroma, which even now reminds me of childhood.
The Common Thyme Plant
Common thyme is an easy to recognise, pleasant smelling, perennial herb that is found frequently in herb gardens and sometimes in the wild near to habitation. It is a low growing, woody, creeping, plant with many stalks and small brittle fragrant leaves. The thyme plant flowers in the summer from mid May to August, the white or pink flowers that are produced along the stalks and are said to be the favourite flowers of fairies. It is thought thyme got its name from the Greek word 'thumos' which means sacrificial smoke or the word 'thumon' which means some thing included in a sacrifice. There are many other uses for thyme, which you can explore on this page.
How To Gather And Store Thyme
Thyme herb is an easy plant to grow, being a perennial it is evergreen and you can keep it in a pot on the kitchen windowsill or in the garden for year round use. If you wish to preserve thyme herb then it can also be dried and kept in an air tight tin (If you want to dry the flowers of the plant then gather sprigs of thyme in late May, just as the plant has come into flower.)
Organic Thyme For Remedies
Thyme Benefits
Thyme benefits: Thyme herb has been used for centuries in cooking, medicine, sacrifices and love potions. It is one of the best recognised herbs and to the ancient Greeks it symbolised courage. Used in natural medicine it has a muscle relaxing effect and is good for helping a poor digestion and relieving indigestion, bloating and symptoms of wind. Thyme has antiseptic properties, it is good at calming sore gums, relieving nasal congestion, sore throats and coughs. Thyme is also a good pick me up, can relieve tension headaches, and protect the body and skin from the aging effects of pollution and the sun.
Thyme Remedies
Spirit lifting, stomach calming, thyme tea: Take half a teaspoon of thyme leaves and add to a mug, pour on boiling water, cover and leave to infuse for ten minutes then strain. Drink in the mornings and after meals to help combat symptoms of a poor digestion and as a general tonic.
Relaxing thyme bath: Add a handful of thyme leaves to your bath to relax the mind and body and to help sooth a tension headache.
Soothing throat and gum gargle: Take a teaspoon of thyme leaves and add to a pan, pour on a pint of boiling water, cover and leave to infuse and cool. When cool strain and add a bit of honey, use mixture as a gargle to help relieve a sore throat or swill around mouth as you would mouthwash to calm sore gums.
Warnings For Using Thyme As A Medicinal Plant
Not for use in high doses if pregnant or breast feeding.
Thyme Facts
In the olden days it was a great compliment to tell somebody they smelt of thyme.