Waiting for a garden to fill in can test anyone’s patience. The good news is that plenty of plants are happy to do the hard work for you, covering bare soil, climbing fences, and producing food or flowers in a matter of weeks.
The picks below span salad greens, flowers, herbs, vines, houseplants, and even a few trees. Some give you a harvest in under a month, while others add several feet of height every season. Use the growth times as a guide, since weather, soil, and sunlight all affect the pace.
1) Arugula
Arugula is one of the fastest salad greens you can grow. You can start harvesting baby leaves about three weeks after sowing, and full-size leaves follow within six weeks.
Sow seeds thinly in a sunny or lightly shaded spot and keep the soil evenly moist. It prefers cool weather, so spring and fall are ideal, while summer heat makes it bolt and turn bitter.
2) Spinach
Spinach is ready in around five to six weeks, and you can pick the outer leaves early to keep the plant producing. It is a great choice for cool seasons and even handles a light frost.
Plant it in rich, well-drained soil and water regularly. A few successive sowings every couple of weeks will give you a steady supply.
3) Bok Choy
Baby bok choy can be ready in just a month, and mature heads usually take about 45 to 60 days. It stays compact, so it fits in pots and small beds.
Give it cool weather and consistent moisture. Uneven watering or sudden heat can cause it to flower early.
4) Snap Peas
Snap peas climb fast and reward you with sweet, crunchy pods in about two months. Sow them as soon as the soil can be worked in spring.
Give them a trellis or netting to climb, and pick often to keep new pods forming. They enjoy cool weather and fade once temperatures rise.
5) Zucchini
Zucchini is famous for being generous. Plants usually start producing in 45 to 60 days, and a single plant can supply a household all summer.
Plant after the last frost in full sun, in soil enriched with compost. Check plants daily once they start fruiting, since zucchini can grow surprisingly large overnight.
6) Cucumbers
Cucumbers grow quickly in warm weather and can be harvested in 50 to 70 days. Train them up a fence or trellis to save space and keep fruit clean.
They need full sun and steady watering, because dry spells can make the fruit bitter. Pick regularly to encourage more.
7) Cosmos
Cosmos grow rapidly from seed and typically bloom within eight to ten weeks. Their airy foliage and daisy-like flowers make a soft, cheerful display.
They actually do best in average or even poor soil, and too much fertilizer produces leaves instead of flowers. Deadhead to keep blooms coming until frost.
8) Calendula
Calendula, sometimes called pot marigold, flowers in about six to eight weeks. The cheerful orange and yellow blooms are edible and are popular in teas, salves, and salads.
Sow seeds directly in the garden in full sun or light shade. It tolerates cool weather well and often reseeds on its own.
9) Sweet Alyssum
Sweet alyssum forms a honey-scented carpet of tiny flowers in as little as six weeks. It is perfect for edging paths, filling gaps, or spilling over container rims.
It likes sun to part shade and regular watering. Shear it back lightly in midsummer if it slows down, and it will bounce back with fresh blooms.
10) California Poppy
California poppies sprout quickly from scattered seed and bloom within a couple of months. The silky orange flowers open in sunshine and close at night.
They thrive in poor, dry, well-drained soil and dislike being transplanted, so sow them where you want them to grow. Once established, they often return year after year.
11) Morning Glory
Morning glories are speedy climbers that can cover a fence or trellis in a single season. Trumpet-shaped flowers appear about two to three months after sowing.
Soak or nick the seeds before planting to speed up germination. Be aware that they can self-seed freely, so remove spent seed pods if you want to keep them in check.
12) Scarlet Runner Beans
Scarlet runner beans race up poles and teepees, often reaching ten feet or more. They produce bright red flowers that hummingbirds love, followed by edible pods.
Plant after frost in full sun and give them something tall to climb. Pick pods young for the best texture.
13) Mint
Mint is among the fastest-spreading herbs. Within weeks of planting, it fills a pot with fragrant leaves ready for tea, cocktails, and cooking.
Keep it in a container, because it spreads aggressively through underground runners and can take over a garden bed. It tolerates sun or partial shade as long as the soil stays moist.
14) Pothos
Pothos is the fast-growing champion of indoor plants. In warm, bright conditions it can add a foot or more of trailing growth in a month.
It tolerates low light and irregular watering, making it great for beginners. Let the top inch of soil dry out between waterings, and trim long vines to keep it full. Note that it is toxic to pets if chewed.
15) Spider Plant
Spider plants grow quickly and produce baby plantlets on long stems, which you can root in water or soil to make new plants. A single plant can turn into several within a year.
They do well in bright, indirect light and forgive missed waterings. They are also considered non-toxic to cats and dogs.
16) Bamboo
Many bamboo species grow several feet a year once established, making them one of the fastest privacy screens you can plant. Some can add even more height in peak season.
Choose a clumping variety for most gardens. Running types spread through rhizomes and can escape into neighboring areas unless you install a deep root barrier.
17) Miscanthus (Maiden Grass)
Miscanthus forms a large, elegant clump that can reach five to eight feet tall in a single growing season. The silvery plumes add movement and winter interest.
Plant in full sun and average soil. Cut it back to the ground in late winter, and it will quickly regrow. Check local guidance, as some varieties can self-seed in certain regions.
18) Green Giant Arborvitae
Green Giant arborvitae is a popular evergreen for fast screening, often adding three feet or more per year. It forms a dense, cone-shaped barrier that stays green all winter.
It prefers full sun and moist but well-drained soil. Water new plantings deeply during their first couple of seasons to help them establish.
19) Butterfly Bush
Butterfly bush can shoot up several feet in a season and bloom from midsummer into fall. The fragrant flower spikes are a magnet for butterflies and bees.
Plant in full sun with good drainage. In some regions it spreads into wild areas, so look for sterile or low-seed cultivars and check local recommendations first.
20) Perennial Ryegrass
If you want a lawn in a hurry, perennial ryegrass is one of the quickest seeds to sprout, often within five to ten days. It fills in bare patches faster than most grasses.
Sow evenly, keep the soil consistently moist until the seedlings are established, and mow once the grass reaches about three inches. It is often mixed with slower grasses for a lasting lawn.