Strangely enough Wooly Thyme does well and winters over for me in my normally wet clay soil. The trick seems to be to plant it high and next to concrete or stone. And in full sun. However, I do not water it at all, not even to water it in when first planted in the ground. I just step on it to make sure there are no air pockets. I have managed to grow a half dozen patches of it which have lasted for five years or more and counting. BTW, I did have two patches of Lemon Thyme die out this spring after making it through 4 winters in my garden. I think the strange weather did them in, as I also had some problems with established heucheras and a few other things that I pretty much take for granted. Anyway, none of the Wooly Thyme was hurt at all. Jackierooke, I think if you try it again and plant it perhaps an inch or so higher than usual, near a brick wall, stepping stones, or concrete walkway and absolutely ignore it, it will grow well for you.

Does the shrub shade that part of the plant? Is the that part of the Thyme in a low spot or a damp spot, maybe from watering the shrub? I have Wooly Thyme planted in one of my flower beds and had an issue with one of the plants doing the same thing. I raised it up a bit and it is recovering-it has started to fill in with new growth. Just make sure that it is receiving full sun and that the soil is not remaining damp. Hope this helps Rhonda

Rain,rain,rain! Time for some sun! If the wooly thyme has ok drainage, maybe prune out the dead parts,give it a little compost or good soil and hope for sun. I have alot of creeping thyme that looked great in may, then had brown areas right in the middle of the plants! I sprinkled compost over the whole plant and now, all are coming into bloom(T.serphyllum' alba') and the plants look great! The creeping thymes live up to their names.

woolly thyme is pushing out its neighbor, coconut thyme, in my garden. They will establish roots first and then spread and spread and spread. Don't expect tremendous growth the first year. The rule with perennials: first year they sleep, second year they creep, third year they LEAP. make sure there is enough drainage