By Jennifer Noonan for Bobvila©
All photo’s: © istockphoto.com
Clematis
Clematis is a hardy climbing vine that can grow up to 30 feet in just a few months. It will tolerate many soil conditions and does equally well in part or full sun. Festooned with white, purple, or pink flowers during late summer and fall, this bright beauty can spruce up any bland exterior.
Creeping Jenny
A low-growing evergreen ground cover, creeping Jenny is lush with a profusion of small rounded leaves. It comes in both green and golden varieties and looks just as good filling in a planting bed as it does cascading over rocks or walls. If you’re going for classic villa charm in your front yard, a smattering of these will surely do the trick.
Coral Honeysuckle
This perennial vine boasts coral-pink flowers from mid-June through September and can scale a 10 to 15 foot trellis in one season. For a front yard that overflows with color and sweet scents—not to mention hummingbirds—don’t overlook this vibrant bloom.
Thuja ‘Green Giant’
This rapid-growing evergreen will give you quick privacy when planted along a property line, fostering a cozy and secluded feeling. It grows three to five feet a year, is both drought- and disease-tolerant, and provides lush green foliage throughout all four seasons.
Cleveland Pear
The Cleveland pear is a fast-growing ornamental tree that blooms furiously with white flowers in springtime. It’s a front yard showstopper that will grow four feet a year, reaching 30 to 40 feet at maturity. It is both cold hardy and heat-tolerant, but requires full sun to put on its best show.
Geranium ‘Brookside’
This flowering perennial is both fast-growing and long-blooming, throwing a party of blue flowers in the garden from May to July. Both deer and rabbit resistant, it attracts bees and its foliage takes on a variegated color in the fall, ensuring that your yard always offers something new to enjoy.
Privet
This fast-growing Japanese shrub is ideal for creating a tailored hedge that perfectly outlines your property. It will grow 10 to 15 feet tall and 5 to 7 feet wide, and its display of white flowers in the summer gives a bright boost to any facade. It tolerates shearing and shaping well, and does best in full sunlight.
Butterfly Bush
The colorful flowers of this fast-growing bush attract butterflies and hummingbirds all summer long, making it a power player in your front yard. Butterfly bush isn’t fussy when it comes to soil or sun conditions, but it will reseed quickly; be sure to pull out new seedlings early to keep it in check.
Hybrid Poplar
For shade in a hurry, set your sights on a hybrid poplar. The tree can grow 30 to 40 feet in three years, topping out between 50 and 70 feet. Often planted by developers around new homes, a shade tree like this can increase the value of your property by thousands of dollars. And if that isn’t reason enough, its foliage turns a brilliant yellow before shedding in autumn, yielding truly charming results year-round.
Red Twig Dogwood
Red twig dogwood is a fast-growing shrub that is perhaps more stunning once it loses its leaves and berries, as its bright red bark makes a beautiful counterpoint to a snowy winter landscape. If you’re hoping for a bold statement, then don’t skip over this showstopper.
