{"title":"Groundcovers","description":"\u003cp\u003eLow-growing and landscape-transforming — browse our collection of groundcover seeds for NZ gardens. Groundcovers are the perfect solution for suppressing weeds, covering bare soil, softening edges, and creating a lush, living carpet of colour and texture throughout the garden.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"blue-borage-seeds","title":"Blue Borage Seeds — Borago officinalis","description":"\u003ch2\u003eThe Bees' Favourite, the Cook's Delight\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlue Borage\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eBorago officinalis\u003c\/em\u003e) is one of the most cheerful and generous plants you can grow. Its vivid, star-shaped flowers in the most brilliant true-blue are a rare colour in the garden world, and they bloom prolifically from spring right through summer. A beloved cottage garden herb with a long history, Borage is as useful as it is beautiful — the flowers are edible, the bees are obsessed with it, and once you grow it, it will happily self-seed around your garden for years to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhy Gardeners Love It\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e💙 \u003cstrong\u003eBrilliant true-blue star-shaped flowers\u003c\/strong\u003e — one of the few genuinely blue flowers in the garden, and utterly stunning\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e🍽️ \u003cstrong\u003eEdible flowers\u003c\/strong\u003e — a delicate cucumber flavour, beautiful frozen in ice cubes or scattered over salads and drinks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e🐝 \u003cstrong\u003eIrresistible to bees\u003c\/strong\u003e — one of the best pollinator plants you can grow, flowering for months\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e🌱 \u003cstrong\u003eFast and easy from seed\u003c\/strong\u003e — direct sow and watch it romp away; self-seeds freely for years of free plants\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e🌿 \u003cstrong\u003eCompanion planting superstar\u003c\/strong\u003e — traditionally grown alongside tomatoes and strawberries to deter pests and attract pollinators\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eGrowing Tips for New Zealand\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSow directly into a sunny position with well-drained soil from early spring through to autumn. Borage dislikes being transplanted, so direct sowing is best. Thin seedlings to 30–40 cm apart. It grows quickly to 60–90 cm tall and will begin flowering within weeks. Deadhead regularly to prolong blooming, or leave flowers to set seed and self-sow freely. Grows well throughout NZ in any reasonably sunny spot — a truly unfussy and rewarding plant.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhat's in the Packet\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach packet contains \u003cstrong\u003e10 seeds\u003c\/strong\u003e of Blue Borage (\u003cem\u003eBorago officinalis\u003c\/em\u003e).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chbotanics Seeds","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45028716019781,"sku":null,"price":4.5,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0734\/2974\/5733\/files\/image_1b14c033-7e62-43d7-9bd4-a65665a73c09.png?v=1779086564"},{"product_id":"white-groundcover-thyme-seeds-thymus-serpyllum","title":"White Groundcover Thyme Seeds — Thymus serpyllum","description":"\u003ch2\u003eA Fragrant, Flowering Carpet — Delicate White Blooms Over a Mat of Tiny Aromatic Leaves\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThymus serpyllum\u003c\/strong\u003e (Wild Thyme) in white is one of the most beautiful and useful groundcover plants you can grow — a low, spreading, mat-forming perennial that hugs the ground and produces a generous flush of tiny white flowers in summer, smothering the plant in bloom and filling the air with a soft, sweet thyme fragrance. Growing to just a few centimetres tall but spreading to 30cm or more, it is perfectly suited to paving gaps, rock gardens, sunny banks, and the edges of paths and borders where it will release its fragrance underfoot. The tiny, dark green aromatic leaves are attractive year-round, and the white flowers are a magnet for bees and other beneficial insects when in bloom. A tough, drought-tolerant, and long-lived perennial that asks for very little once established — and gives back enormously in beauty, fragrance, and wildlife value.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhy Gardeners Love It\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e🌼 \u003cstrong\u003eDelicate white flowers in summer\u003c\/strong\u003e — tiny white blooms smother the plant in a generous flush in summer, creating a beautiful low carpet of white above the fine aromatic foliage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e🌿 \u003cstrong\u003eFragrant, mat-forming groundcover\u003c\/strong\u003e — spreads to form a dense, weed-suppressing mat of tiny aromatic leaves that release a soft thyme fragrance when brushed or walked upon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e🐝 \u003cstrong\u003eLoved by bees and pollinators\u003c\/strong\u003e — an outstanding pollinator plant; bees are irresistibly drawn to the flowers when in bloom\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e🪸 \u003cstrong\u003ePerfect for paving gaps and rock gardens\u003c\/strong\u003e — thrives in the gaps between pavers, in rock gardens, on sunny banks, and along path edges; softens hard landscaping beautifully\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e🌱 \u003cstrong\u003eTough and drought tolerant\u003c\/strong\u003e — once established, Wild Thyme is very drought tolerant and long-lived; an unfussy, low-maintenance perennial that thrives in poor, well-drained soils\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e🌿 \u003cstrong\u003eCulinary and ornamental\u003c\/strong\u003e — the leaves are aromatic and can be used in cooking just like common thyme, making this a beautiful and practical addition to any garden\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eGrowing Tips for New Zealand\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSow Thymus serpyllum in trays in spring or early autumn onto moist seed-raising mix; press seeds lightly onto the surface as they need light to germinate. Germination takes around \u003cstrong\u003e21–28 days\u003c\/strong\u003e at 18–22°C — be patient and keep the mix consistently moist but not wet. Transplant seedlings to 20–30cm apart in a sunny position with very well-drained, even poor soil — Thyme dislikes wet feet and will thrive in conditions that would challenge many other plants. Once established it is very drought tolerant and requires little attention. Trim lightly after flowering to keep plants compact and encourage fresh growth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhat's in the Packet\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach packet contains \u003cstrong\u003e30 seeds\u003c\/strong\u003e of White Groundcover Thyme (\u003cem\u003eThymus serpyllum\u003c\/em\u003e), with growing instructions included.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chbotanics Seeds","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45074121392197,"sku":null,"price":4.5,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0734\/2974\/5733\/files\/image_08137536-fedc-45dd-a52a-cc444157d603.png?v=1780109787"}],"url":"https:\/\/chbotanics.co.nz\/collections\/groundcovers.oembed","provider":"Chbotanics Seeds","version":"1.0","type":"link"}