We had a similar experience with vinca—beautiful at first, but it quickly became overwhelming. It took us ages to get it back under control. Creeping thyme, on the other hand, has been a real lifesaver for our budget landscaping project. We planted it along a steep slope near our driveway, and I was honestly surprised how quickly it filled in and stabilized the area. Plus, as you mentioned:
"the bees and butterflies love it."
That's been an unexpected bonus for us too. It's nice to see pollinators buzzing around, especially since we didn't have to spend much to attract them. Another affordable option we've had success with is creeping phlox—it spreads nicely without becoming invasive and adds some vibrant color in spring. Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone's looking for another low-maintenance groundcover option that's easy on the wallet...
We put in creeping phlox last spring along our retaining wall—honestly didn't expect much at first, but it really took off. It's been great for hiding some rough masonry work we did ourselves (oops...) and the color pop every spring is pretty amazing. Might give creeping thyme a shot next year though; sounds perfect for filling in between stepping stones. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Creeping thyme is awesome stuff, especially between stepping stones. We put some in last year, and it's filled in nicely—plus, it smells amazing when you walk on it. Just a heads-up though: it took a bit longer to establish than our phlox did, so don't worry if it seems slow at first. Totally worth the wait, and definitely forgiving of amateur masonry skills... ask me how I know, haha.
Creeping thyme sounds great, might have to try that next. We went with moss between our stepping stones last summer, and it looked amazing at first... until the squirrels decided it was their personal playground. Now it's patchy at best, haha. Good to know thyme is forgiving—I definitely qualify as amateur-level masonry too. Glad your storm shelter passed inspection, btw. Ours is next on the list, fingers crossed it's as smooth as yours was.
"until the squirrels decided it was their personal playground. Now it's patchy at best, haha."
Ha, sounds familiar... squirrels really can be relentless. We had a similar issue with moss—looked fantastic initially, but didn't hold up to foot traffic either. Creeping thyme has been a solid upgrade so far; handles wear better and smells nice too. Good luck with your storm shelter inspection, btw. Ours went smoothly last year—inspectors usually just want to see proper drainage and secure anchoring. You've probably got this covered already, though.
