Think thyme and you'll probably conjure up spaghetti sauce. After all, thyme and hearty Italian pasta sauces go hand in hand. But if you limit your use of this wonderful herb to pasta, you're missing out on thyme's real potential.

Thyme is useful not only in the kitchen but in the garden as well. Thyme is wonderfully fragrant. It makes a dense and attractive ground cover. Thyme boasts delicate flowers and flavorful leaves. Thyme is perfect in rock gardens, as a ground cover, an edging plant or a lawn substitute.

Don't limit your garden to just one variety of thyme. Try planting wooly thyme or lemon, orange and variegated thyme.

Thyme requires very little care. It will tolerate partial shade but does well with full-sun and well-drained soil. It also tends to reseed itself and become a permanent addition to your garden. You can also propagate thyme by root division or layering. Thyme can become woody, so frequent harvesting and light pruning are recommended.

You can harvest the leaves and sprigs all summer long. It is best to pick the leaves before the herb flowers in July and August but harvesting during the flowering period won't harm the plant and the flowering sprigs make excellent garnishes and additions to bouquets.