Alternative to box/laurel for pots at front door

[Afternoondelights]

Hi all, I want to get a couple of large pots for the front door step but want something different than the usual box or bay. Would lavender be suitable? I have some in the garden which dies off and comes back every year but wondered if there was an all year round variety? Any other suggestions? Tia

Lavender will just look tatty in the winter. How about Ilex crenata - a holly with small leaves that can be clipped like box. Black berries if you're lucky.

Lavender is lovely during the summer, but goes straggly over the winter, what about planting up with winter pansies, ivy, and a small juniper?

I'm not sure it floats my boat ( maybe looks better in the flesh ? ) but my brother saw this

www.suttons.co.uk/Gardening/Trees+and+Shrubs/All+Trees+and+Shrubs/Ligustrum+j+Plant+-+Rotundifolium_297421.htm
at Kiplings Garden in Rottingdean recently and he's ordered some .
Supposed to be very slow growing .

Thanks for your replies, the flowers look very pretty on that gingeroots
I'll Google the others and drag dh to the garden centre this weekend

I've just bought a couple of nice Heathers for my doorstep pots. They're green & purple so add a bit of colour too.
Disclaimer: not green fingered in the least, so no idea if this was a good buy or not!

NotPennys I do like the heathers but haven't done well in the second year with them .I find they go brown at the base .

I've kept them though with planting around them to disguise .They're not expensive though and easy ( unless you're parsimonious like me ) to treat like a bedding plant .

I think they like sun and ericaous soil . Does anyone knowledgeable know what causes the brown/dieing at the bottom ? Not enough moisture ?Inadequate ventilation ?

Forgive spelling ,in shock this morning over America .Huddling here for relief .

Hebe's?

Ah rosemary, can't believe I didn't think of it, brilliant idea, thanks

Another thought, Pittosporum? There are lots of varieties with green, black or variegated leaves.

I have an olive tree in the summer and a holly tree in the winter, I swap them around. The holly has berries so very festive.

I have a Pieris Japonica by my front door , also a winter /spring bulb pot with a heather and then swap that for a hanging basket in spring/summer

If you are after topiary, there are lots of plants you can use from yew to lonicera nitida to holly!

If you're not so worried by form, you could go for a pot of fragrant plants to give you a hit of scent over the winter. Something like sarcococca confusa smells just gorgeous very early in the year, and you could underplant with cyclamen for a splash of colour.

The prostrate rosemary is a lovely idea as well.