An evergreen, creeping shrub, Thymus Jekka’s Bee Happy grows up to a height of 4cm in flower, and spreads to around 45cm. Small mid green leaves, give rise to large cerise flowers, in mid-summer, both of which are edible.

According to the breeder and herb expert, Jekka McVicar, it has taken around seven years to produce the new thym. To ensure it doesn’t revert and remains true, the new thyme has been extensively trialled on McVicar’s herb farm for 2-3 years to ensure that it doesn’t revert and remains true. Thymus Jekka’s Bee Happy will be available for sale in May.

Explaining the process, McVicar said: “I saw a seedling in the Herbetum that was unlike any thymes around it, I let it grow on over two winters and took cuttings, and got a few established plants. I then trialled it for a couple more years in containers. Once I realised it was totally unique and did not revert, it was named Thymus ‘Jekka’s Bee Happy'”

McVicar has grows approximately 500 different varieties of herb at her farm in South Gloucestershire. Dubbed ‘the Queen of Herbs’ by chef Jamie Oliver, McVicar was awarded the Garden Media Guild Lifetime Achievement Award (2012) and the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour (2017). In 2012 she became the first woman in a century to chair the judging of the Great Pavilion at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. McVicar is the author of several books with the most recent, 100 Herbs to Grow: a comprehensive guide to the best Culinary and Medicinal Herbs. Her best-selling herb book, Jekka’s Complete Herb Book reached one million sales in 2014. She is currently a Vice-President of the RHS, President of the Friends of the Bristol Botanic Garden and President of the West of England Herb Group.