They are going to be high & thick. If you decide to trim while the prebud is on it, last year we used a drill and put them inside the dirt 6 to 8 inches along another fence to keep the dust out......great for borders along the creek and in front of porches..we live close to the road so we use them for privacy around the porch. What we replanted last year bloomed when the mother plant bloomed and 98% of them came to live. We are going to plant more around the ground as they are the first bush that comes alive in the spring. Deer do not like them.