Alternatives to Bay and Olive trees etc for Planters at front door?

[JMGBeagles]

Hi any suggestions for plants or shrubs to frame the front door. Rather not go with the usual standard bay, box, olive etc... but maybe there’s a reason these are so popular because they work well?! What else do you have? The front is in Full sun most of the day, west facing garden. I’d like something that Looks good all year round.

Ermmm Rosemary? Clary Sage? I love herbs but they're not trees like olives of course. Clary Sage gets very tall, it's a perennial I think, but you could put bulbs round the base for the winter for interest.

Lavender?

I have some miniature box tress that look good all year. They just need a bit of a trim now and again.

Variegated holly: not exactly unusual though? Or I saw some stunning variegated ivy trained into shapes at Wisley just before lockdown. We have olive trees and camellias...

Depending on your house's esthetic, you could do an arch and climbers (rose, clematis armandii)

Box is a bit dodgy if you have Box Caterpillars in the area.
My gardener hates it, but I'm a great fan of lonicera nitida. Often used as hedging but takes well to shaping like box.

I’m planning on standard ceanothus. Evergreen, lovely blues, bee friendly and a bit different. Just waiting to be able to get to the garden centre.

Maybe a hebe ( I've got box and bay though )

Box and bay work well by a door because they’re evergreen, neat and can be shaped. Most people don’t have a lot of spare space by their door.

Christmas box (looks like ‘box’ box!) has v small white flowers end jan/Feb. Smells lovely when most plants are dormant.

If you’ve got room you could try Sambucus - fancy form of elderflower. Purple leaves and pink flowers.

Standard (or frame) train ivy. I’ve seen a couple of amazing specimens in France. There’s a yellow form which loves sun. Also frilly edged varieties.

Pittosporum - easy to clip, can remove the lower branches for a more tree shape. There’s a silver variegated one and a green with black stem variety (my fave).

Or something that looses leaves in winter but has a structural gnarly stem frame - fig or wisteria.

Something standard, so that you can plant bulbs or bedding or whatever you like around the base. I think ceanothus is a good shout. Does best in full sun, but would be ok anywhere I think. Viburnum tibia would also be nice - flowers about Jan to about April.

viburnum tinus

Euonymus too.

roses
shrub hibiscus (though they look like dry sticks during winter)

Another vote for standard (lollipop style) viburnum tinus

Thanks everyone, lovely ideas, going to google all suggestions :)

I second ChateauxMyself's suggestion of Christmas Box (Sarcoccoca), evergreen and flowers in late winter with a powerful fragrance

I'd be more impressed if his cock poked up through the top of a (tall) pringles tube. Now that would be worth putting on social media.

Sorry! That was meant for the Olly Murs thread...

We grow blueberries in tubs either side of the door. They look lovely and kids eat them on the way in (the dog does too so you have to be quick)

Funny since the covid symbols all over the telly i've gone off the lollipop style trees!!! There's one down the road with .literally, strange reddish coloured flowers sticking out all over it!!!!

I have Christmas Box (sarcococca) clipped into a hedge by my front door. Delivery people (pre covid) frequently comment on the lovely fragrance but it smells like cat pee to me! Clearly something wrong with my sense of smell

Camellia would be lovely I think.

I have photinia mini trees

Osmanthus burkwoodii

White flowers in winter
Smart dark green leaves all year round

I had sarcoccora on a south facing banking and it was too hot and dry for it.
I would imagine the tubs would get pretty hot in the summer.
I think pittosporum is pretty tough, though not very exciting, but seems to do ok in well drained soil in sun.