Bushes/plants with interest throughout the year

[whostolethesocks]

I have a small garden with a bed at the back along a fence. I would like to plant something in this bed that will add a bit of interest/colour to the garden (I don't really have much else) and stop us looking at just the fence. So I'm thinking of some small bushes/plants/periennials. Ideas please for a non-gardener.

I have an abelia bush which flowers in summer and keeps its leaves all year, which gives nice structure to my border. There are also some compact azaleas that will keep their leaves too. For winter colour you can't really go wrong with a winter jasmine which you can train to climb up a fence/trellis. My new favourite that I'm growing from a cutting is an orange ball buddlhea, but that will drop its leaves in winter.

Actually I should have asked what kind of things (colours, styles etc) you prefer. Will make it easier to suggest something suitable.

evergreen climbers to go up your fence, if you attach trellis or wires to it - various kinds of clematis, akebia quinata (is semi-evergreen in a mild climate), ivy, billardiera, trachelospermum, some honeysuckles.

other evergreens; hebes, daphne, some ideas here

Thanks for your ideas so far Merel and Traviata. You are so knowledgeable! I don't really have any ideas of styles/colours - just some colours and nothing too big! I've just put some pots along there this year but want something more permanent. I'll try and add a photo later....

So here's the bed/back fence where I need some foliage/colour/ideals for bushes/periennials please....

I would be tempted to put up 3 climbers - say a pyracantha (berries in winter), an evergreen clematis that isn't too rampant (eg clematis alpina) and a smallish honeysuckle, then put shrubs in the gaps between them and bulbs plus a sprinkling of annuals for changing colour. You could put a small tree in for privacy, perhaps a small flowering cherry?

The shadows suggest your fence faces south, and it looks to get sun for part of the day, so anything that tolerates partial shade should be ok.