Woodruff taken over my thyme beds. Suggestions please.

[trufflehunter]

I have a wedding to get ready for, and my herb garden has been sadly overrun with woodruff and dandelions. I may have won the battles, but I appear to be loosing the war. I reckon I need to pull it all up and fill in the holes with something. I had thyme there before, but can anyone suggest how I can fill in a hole of 3 sq ft by 17th July? or suggest another strategy?
Help - before my step-daughter kills me!

[Jeanied]

Just a few of questions to help find an answer for you.
Do you want to grow flowers for the wedding? If so, what colours?
Are you looking for produce to cook?
Or do you just want the garden to look nice for it?

[trufflehunter]

Hmm. The space is part of a herb/kitchen garden so, yes, ideally I would like herb/veg stuff there, but it has to be low growing. Everyone will come through the farmyard (if they let us use it!) next door, right past the herb garden, so it has to look nice. Maybe I should just leave the woodruff! At least it covers the ground!
Very alkaline low calorie earth. Thyme does fine, but it is hard to find large enough plants to fill the gaps at this short notice.....

[Jeanied]

If it was me I'd go for a patch of pinks. But that could get pricey. Or lavender.
Not sure where you are in Berkshire but if you are near enough a trip to Columbia Road in Bethnal Green could sort you out in one early morning visit to East London!
So the idea possibly would be get out the bedding annuals.

[trufflehunter]

Pinks might do it - good idea. But no, I am the other end of Berkshire right in the downs and the middle of nowhere....Thanks, I'll see what I can find.

[taff]

lobelia?
then whip it out when the weddings over and stick it somewhere else....

[trufflehunter]

Good idea! I like it! what about Oregano though as a compromise and stick all the remaining thyme (poor things) together in another space - I have rather a lot of them thanks to the woodruff? Would the Oregano grow big enough quickly enough?

[its hilly]

What about some salad leaves? Nice colours, grow fast. Not much height though. Or sink the pot of an existing climber into the ground and let it scramble as ground cover across trellis set horizontal.