Gardening is an enjoyable hobby, but keeping flowerbeds blooming requires a lot of patience as many need to be planted well in advance.
However, certain plants can grow relatively quickly, producing pretty flowers in the process. If you want to spruce up your back garden but didn't have time this year to get your hands dirty, one pro has shared their go to shrubs that are "fuss-free" to plant and offer beautiful displays.
Gardening expert David Domoney has shared the best fast-growing plants that suit a variety of spaces on his website. Whether you're looking colourful flowers, want to add some privacy to your back garden, or just starting fresh, he recommends starting with shrubs to fill up space, reports the Express.
He said: "If you’re looking to plug some gaps in your existing garden, or you’re starting your garden from scratch, the following shrubs will put on plenty of vigorous growth to fill bare corners quickly with their lush leaves and beautiful flowers.
"These options are fast-growing and full of colour so there will be minimal waiting time between planting and enjoying their beautiful displays. Plus, many of them are really easy to grow and suit many soil types and positions, so are perfect for beginners.
"Fast-growing shrubs provide a hit of ‘instant’ impact in the garden, perfect for filling space while slower-growing varieties get established."
Here are David Domoney's 10 favourite fast-growing plants
1. Spirea japonica
Spirea japonica is a bushy deciduous shrub whose stems produce clusters of delicate pink flowers in summer.
David said: “Fairly fuss-free, it will bring some colour to your city, courtyard, cottage or coastal garden where it can grow to one metre tall.”
2. Hydrangea macrophylla
Well-loved for its large and magnificent flower heads in a range of colours, this flowering shrub is a popular addition to many gardens.
Their displays are full of “showy flowers” and bring “wonderful interest” to a garden, with many having lovely leaf shapes.
3. Ribes sanguineum
The expert claimed that these plants are “fast-growing with vibrant flowers” in spring or summer. They either produce tubular or bell-shaped flowers that are sometimes followed by colourful berries.
4. Forsythia
This striking fast-growing shrub has woody branches and profuse sunshine-yellow blossom in spring, borne before leaves appear in summer.
They make for great hedging or feature plants and give a garden a real colour punch when in bloom.
5. Mahonia x media
Mahonias are grown for their attractive foliage and fragrant, showy flowers. They provide an invaluable source of pollen and nectar for winter colonies of bumblebees and other pollinators.
Mahonia x media bears bright yellow, fragrant flowers which look particularly good at the back of borders. For best results, grow in moist but well-drained soil, in partial shade.
6. Buddleja davidii
This is a fast-growing and undemanding shrub native to China. It's ideal for a growing in wide range of situations, providing they are sunny and the soil is well-drained.
The long, heavy flowering heads make a stunning late-summer display for four to six weeks, attracting clouds of butterflies and other insects.
7. Photinia
Photinia is a quick-growing evergreen shrub that’s great for creating privacy as a hedge or serving as a standout border feature.
The young leaves sprout rich red in spring, providing an “amazing contrast” against more mature deep green foliage. Its sparse white flowers in spring are usually followed by red berries.
8. Cornus alba
These are “fantastic fast-growing deciduous shrubs” that are very versatile in the garden and are usually grown for their vibrant displays of bare stems in vibrant yellow, orange or red during winter.
They have pale green leaves throughout the summer and flat white flower heads in spring.
9. Philadelphus
These scented plants offer a spectacle of foaming, white, cup-shaped flowers from early summer. They are usually tall, making them a beautiful choice in a border for a “low-maintenance” garden.
10. Pyrancantha
This evergreen shrub has green leaves and clusters of white flowers in the warmer months. It is often chosen for its magnificent displays of red, yellow or orange berries in autumn or winter, giving a garden a real colour pop when other plants may be dying down.
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