I planted my creeping thyme along the shaded side of the path to save time: when I looked at the strip at the end of the summer, it was too late
By late summer, that shaded creeping thyme strip looked like straw instead of a lush carpet—and there’s no quick fix. The problem isn’t poor care; it’s biology. Mediterranean herbs like thyme need 6-8 hours of direct sun daily, and shade triggers etiolation, sparse growth, and disease susceptibility that compound all season long.