Nothing is more exciting than having a ‘blank canvas’ of a garden.

The grass may be down, the pathways may be ready, but perhaps your flowerbeds are empty, and you want to fill them with stuff that won’t take forever to grow, just to make the garden look filled up and lived-in. But beware of some plants that might actually take over, unless you can control them.

Bolting Bamboo

Bamboo will grow quickly, but be sure to do your homework before planting this, as although there are more than 1,000 bamboo species, they mainly fall into two main categories, ‘clumping’ and ‘spreading’.

Clumpers spread slowly and are fairly easy to contain, making a screen or accent in your garden. But many bamboos are of the running or spreading variety, which easily escape their allotted space to become a nightmare. Their aggressive roots quickly take over landscapes and natural areas—even crossing beneath pavements and under walls, and is one of the fastest growing plants in the world. It is a grass, not a tree, and some can grow at speeds of up to 91cm a day.

Bamboo itself is widely used for furniture, flooring and even clothing, but as a food source for animals - the obvious one being the panda. Some animals even get drunk from the fermented bamboo sap (and they behave in much the same way as humans do when drunk!).

Invading Ivy

Ivy is another one to be careful of. While it is valued for its evergreen, fast-growing nature, this same efficiency makes it a threat to ecosystems, trees, and man-made structures.

If not consistently maintained, it can easily escape and even destroy walls, as it grows ‘suckers’ that allow it to cling on - untrimmed it will attach itself to a wall and ruin any paint or plaster.

Up a tree, it damages the tree itself, and shades out vegetation on the ground below. Cuttings left on the ground can quickly grow roots to become new plants. It needs trimming before it goes to seed, and allow trimmings to completely dry in the sun (preferably not in contact with soil) before disposing or composting.

Beautiful Bougainvillea

This plant is my favourite plant, and will thrive in the Portuguese climate. It is a fast-growing vine with stunning colours, but beware of the sharp thorns on the stems.

They do better being planted straight out into the garden rather than started off in a pot, as they don’t do well once disturbed. Yes, they will take over if you let them, so be prepared to do some pruning.

Meandering Mint

There are so many varieties of mint to pick from, and it is an easy to grow herb.

However, they have aggressive, spreading roots that quickly cover large spaces.

To keep mint under control, plant it in a container elevated from the ground, as the roots will try and escape through the drainage hole in the pot.

Salvia Rosmarinus

Commonly known as Rosemary, it’s fragrant and evergreen, with needle-like leaves with purple, white, pink, or blue flowers.

A slow-grower in its first year as it concentrates energy on establishing a deep root system, but becomes faster in the second year. It prefers full sun, dry conditions, and is often grown from cuttings rather than seeds, which can take years to mature.

It’s a herb that’s good for roasted meats, potatoes, soups, and is commonly infused into olive oil. Has use beyond the kitchen too – it’s said to be good for hair growth and a natural insect repellent.

Loathsome Lantana

A riot of colour it may be, but it is on the list of the top 100 invasive species in the world, and as such, the plant is increasingly discouraged in Portugal, but can still be found in nurseries, despite being a biodiversity threat.

Looks lovely with its tiny red, orange and yellow flowers that keep going and going, but the plant itself will need to be pruned severely each year to stop it taking over. And it will buzz with pollinators - they just love all those little flowers.