• Forget trimming your shurbs -- artificial shrubs give you the look of live plants without the hassle.Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images
  
  Shrubs add interest and privacy to any outdoor space they are incorporated into. However if you have little to no gardening ability or experience, you may find that caring for shrubs takes more time and effort than your are able to give. Enter outdoor artificial shrubs: shrubs made specifically for "planting" outdoors to give the look of live shrubbery without the hassle of caring for it. This type of shrub is made of durable materials and coated in UV protectant to help it withstand outdoor usage.
  
  

Barberry Shrub

• Barberry shrub branches may be purchased individually, meaning that they are not pre-potted or arranged. Once you have the branches, you arrange them into the shape and size shrub you prefer. Barberry shrub branches are available in 23-inch and 36-inch lengths. Color varieties include light and dark green, burgundy and brown, which may be used as a single color shrub or combined to make a multi-colored shrub.
  
  

Asparagus Fern

• Asparagus fern has soft foliage with a delicate look. When grown as a shrub, this plant has large branches that become unruly without proper pruning and maintenance. The artificial variety is ideal for those who wish to avoid pruning. Artificial asparagus fern is available in potted plant form and singular branches that may be arranged to create the size and shape of shrub you desire.
  
  

Taxus Yew Shrub

• This shrub is available pre-potted at over 3 feet tall and over 2 feet wide. Leaves of the Taxus Yew are small and look similar to needles on evergreen trees. When used live, the Taxus Yew often makes a hedgerow and grows very tall. Artificial varieties are useful for decorating or creating small hedgerows of your own.
  
  

Boxwood

• Boxwood is a popular shrub used for topiary and hedgerows. Live boxwood requires regular pruning and maintenance to keep it in the shape you desire. Light green leaves of the boxwood are small and create a fluffy-looking plant. Artificial outdoor boxwood is available shaped in hedges, round shrubs or the way it looks un-manicured. This shrub is also available in singular branch form, so that you may create the size and shape of boxwood shrub you prefer.
  
  

Cedar

• When grown live, cedar shrubs may become very large and wild-looking or may be pruned to a neat, circular shape. These shrubs have flat-looking, bushy evergreen leaves in shades of light green. Artificial cedar shrubs may be purchased pre-potted or in individual branch form so that you may create the exact shrub you want.