Will This ‘Magic’ Lawn Hack Actually Work in the Hudson Valley?

Like many Hudson Valley residents this spring, my lawn isn't exactly coming along the way I'd like it to. It makes me wonder if it's time to try out a viral hack I've seen recently on social media.

Keeping grass healthy is hard, both on the people trying to maintain it and on the environment. Not only are thousands of gallons of water used on lawns every year, but grass can also lower the populations of native species through the use of pesticides. That's where this "hack" comes in.

Drought-Tolerant Plants for New York Lawns

While some states like California are pushing back on grass by rewarding "dry-scaping" or xeriscaping (replacing grass or other water-loving plants with stones or drought-tolerant plants) through rebates, many New Yorkers are taking the lawn replacement initiative on their own.

Viral Hack for Replacing Grass Lawns in New York

The viral hack I've seen on almost every social media platform doesn't involve replacing grass with turf or stones, but with another plant that can allegedly cover just as much ground (and be just as green) as grass itself.

Replacing Grass with Red Creeping Thyme

The idea centers around planting creeping thyme instead of grass seed. According to garden experts, creeping thyme could be a perfect replacement for grass thanks to several special properties:

[Creeping thyme is] a low-maintenance perennial ground cover with a fragrant scent... it forms dense mats and tolerates neglect and dry conditions.

Does Creeping Thyme Grow in New York?

A beautiful-smelling ground cover plant that doesn't need special attention? It almost sounds too good to be true. While the pessimist in me automatically assumed New York wouldn't have the correct climate, some research proved me wrong. From a Long Island resident:

I chose to replace half of my front lawn with Red Creeping Thyme in the spring of 2019... [within two years] the whole yard should flower together and I expect there to be only minimal gaps between all of the plants. I also expect that the thyme will be mature enough by then that I can stop watering… I already have stopped using chemicals now that the grass has been replaced.

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So while it doesn't sound like a miracle fix-all (two years is s decent commitment to make to the switch), it's encouraging to hear that New Yorkers have found success. If you hate watering and are looking for something new for your yard, creeping thyme might be a rare "magic" hack that actually works.