13 Fast-Growing Shrubs That'll Fill in Your Garden This Year

If you aren't the most patient gardener in the world, you're probably not ready to wait a year or two for your chosen plants to fill in your landscape. Fortunately, if you choose fast-growing shrubs, you'll likely find that those gaps disappear pretty quickly as your garden grows.

So if you want that instant garden gratification, consider these fast-growing bushes to fill in your landscape in no time flat.

Tips for Choosing Fast-Growing Shrubs

One size (and style) of shrub doesn't fit all gardens. Here's what to consider as you choose for your landscape.

Make sure there's enough space for the bush

You may be tempted to fill in every space as you're landscaping your garden, but you'll want to research the final height and width of the shrub you're considering, and make sure that you leave enough room for it to reach its full size without overtaking other plants in your garden.

Look at its bloom time

For the best looking garden, you want to pick a variety of plants so that there's always something blooming that you can enjoy in your garden. And that goes for your shrubs, too. "Consider the seasonal interest of the shrub, such as flowering periods and foliage color, to help create a garden that is ever changing and visually appealing year-round," Wright says.

Choose something that suits your garden spot

You'll want to consider the light, soil, and water needs of the shrubs you choose, to ensure that they suit the spot where you want to put them. (Putting a sun-loving shrub deep in the shade will stunt its growth and perhaps kill it altogether.)

Make sure you aren't choosing an invasive shrub

You know what kind of shrubs grow really fast? The kind that are invasive and will take over the space—and be difficult for you to control once they're introduced to your garden. Wright points to privet bushes and bamboo as two examples. "They can overtake garden spaces and crowd out native plants."

Fast-Growing Shrubs for Your Garden