Lovely dilemma can you help? What to plant with peonies?

[occasionalposter]

I have dug a new flowerbed at the base of a south facing wall. I am planning to plant peonies and roses, but what else can I put in to give me something to look at in the winter?
The bed is at the front of the house so I can see it everyday, the soil is OK builder's 'topsoil'; the local soil is clay. The bed is about 12 feet long by four feet wide.

how about box balls inbetween the roses and peonies - they will be green all year and add some structure to the bed? I also love alchemila mollis (ladies mantle) with roses but it is not evergreen. Any other small evergreen shrubs would work as well.

Ooh, I hadn't thought of that - I have a spare sarcoccus (possibly two) that I could pop in..... interesting suggestion thank you!

I love the box balls idea! How about some clematis growing up fancy obelisks? The obelisks would look sculptural even when the clematis wasn't doing anything.