Thyme plants produce beautiful white or purple flowers that are great for attracting bees and other beneficial insects to your garden.
When thyme plants bloom it means that the plants are reaching the end of their growth cycle and they’re getting ready to produce seeds.
You can remove the flowers to prevent the plants going to seed too quickly or allow them to bloom and enjoy the beautiful flowers in your garden.
In this article I’ll show you five ways to use thyme flowers from your garden.
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Thyme is a popular culinary herb that is used to enhance the flavor of soups, stews and other savory dishes.
Thyme plants are easy to maintain and they’re fairly drought tolerant.
You can start new thyme plants from seeds or cuttings and they grow best in full sun.
When do thyme plants bloom?
Thyme blooms from late spring until summer depending on the variety.
The flowers grow at the end of the stems and they can be white, pink or purple.
The spent flowers can be cut back to keep the plants looking tidy and after the plants have finished blooming you can cut the plant back to ground level.
Thyme is a perennial herb so it will keep coming back year after year.
How to stop thyme blooming
You can stop thyme plants flowering by regularly trimming off the tips of the plants.
This will make the plants bushier and more full looking, while also delaying the flowers.
Can you harvest thyme after it blooms?
Thyme leaves can still be harvested when the plant is flowering and the flavor of the leaves won’t be altered.
How to use thyme flowers from your garden
1. Cooking
Thyme flowers are edible and have a similar flavor to thyme leaves.
The longer you leave the flowers on your plants the stronger they will taste so it’s best to pick them when they’re about three weeks old for the best flavor.
Thyme leaves are used in meat, vegetable and savory dishes and you can use the flowers in the same way for a more subtle flavor.
Try adding the flowers to roast vegetables, salads, pizzas or use them as a garnish to beautify your meals.
You can also make thyme flower vegetable parcels by wrapping fresh thyme flowers with vegetables such as peppers, zucchini and carrots and then tying the bundle up with string.
Cook them on an outdoor grill and turn them every so often until they’re cooked through.
2. Herbal tea
Herbal tea made from thyme flowers has many health properties and it has a milder taste than tea made from the leaves.
Thyme flower tea can be made from fresh or dried flowers.
3. Enjoy the flowers in your garden
Thyme flowers are a great source of pollen, so allowing your thyme plants to bloom means that you’ll attract lots of butterflies, bees and other pollinating insects to your herb garden.
Thyme flowers are also great for bringing color and interest to your garden.
4. Make a fresh flower arrangement
Thyme flower spikes can be picked straight from the garden to make an easy, fragrant flower arrangement.
You can also combine thyme flowers with mint, oregano or sage flowers if you have them growing in your garden.
5. Collect the seeds
Thyme seeds are easy to collect from the spent flower spikes.
Wait until the flowers turn brown and cut them off with a pair of scissors.
Place the flowers in a paper bag and leave it in a cool, dry place for about two weeks and then gently crush the flowers to release the seeds.
Label your seeds and store them somewhere cool until you’re ready to plant them in your garden next year.
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So there are my tips for using thyme flowers from your herb garden.
Thyme plants produce lots of flowers so feel free to pick some of the flowers from your plants and use them in one of the ways outlined above.
I hope this article has inspired you to make the most of the flowers from your thyme plants.
Do you have thyme flowers growing in your garden? Let me know in the comments below.
