Back to Your Roots: A moment in thyme
There is as an old photograph of my mother’s garden that I keep tucked away in one of my favorite old herbals. I enjoy stumbling upon it from time to time. It is a window into one of my favorite childhood memories. Sisters running with hair in braids, matching clothes, chasing each other between rows of cucumbers, towers of tomatoes and beds of string beans.
My grandfather always called me string bean. I liked that. I suppose it was because I was tall growing up, but most likely it was because I really enjoyed nibbling on emerging leaves and eating string beans directly from the garden beds my mother grew them in.
In the corner of the garden were the potted herbs with their designated metal labels. It was that large pot of thyme that I remember most. Thymus vulgaris. That plant had an agreeable smell and pungent taste compared to all the other practical and edible things that my mother grew.
In the summer, the bees indulge on the flowering tops of thyme. There is no denying that the bees have a tremendous affection for the plant. With its anti-viral and anti-fungal qualities, thyme may be at an advantage being grown in patches throughout the garden or near beehives to support them.
The name Thyme comes from the Greek word thumus, signifying courage. Traditionally, the plant was held in great esteem as a source of invigoration. According to Maude Grieve’s description of the plant in “A Modern Herbal,” “It was an emblem of activity, bravery and energy, and in the days of chivalry it was the custom for ladies to embroider a bee hovering over a sprig of thyme on the scarves they presented to their knights.”
The whole herb is used, fresh and dried. Thyme is a great pick me up for low energy. In herbal medicine, thyme is generally used in combination with other herbs. For instance, combined with sage as a tea it is an excellent remedy for a sore throat, as it strengthens and supports the lungs. Having antispasmodic properties, the plant may be useful for lung conditions and coughs that are convulsive. Combined with echinacea, thyme may also help stimulate the body’s natural defense and boost the immune system.
The dried flowers have been used in the same way as lavender, preserving linens from insects. And generally speaking, the same conditions to grow thyme are similar to those favored by lavender.
Aromatic and refreshing, the fragrance of thyme transports me back to the garden in the photograph when I was a carefree child. Barefoot in my mother’s garden and feeling so happy in such a large, ever so wild, green world.
