What can I put by my front door?

[Darkestseasonofall]

I'm fancying some nice perennials for two big pots by the front door.
The front only gets sun from about 4pm, and I'd like something that's not going to get too leggy and look wild.
Would lavender fit the bill? Or if not can you clever greenfingered lot please recommend something else? Thanks

Lavender likes the sun and will get leggy searching for it. I’d plant two hebes, they come in a good variety of shades and heights. They’re also easy to prune and keep them compact.

Thanks @Beebumble2, that's really helpful advice.
Before I make an arse of myself at the garden centre is it pronounced he-bee or heeb?

Hebe is a good idea (heebee).

I'd advise staying away from a Buxus (they often come in little pots as pom poms or small bushes. They are currently under attack from particularly prolific caterpillars and it would be a lot of upkeep (and possibly just a complete write off).

I had a beautiful hydrangea in a pot by the north facing front door in my old house and it was very happy there. Skimmia Japonica Rubella would also look lovely and wouldn't mind the shade.

Do you want a perennial (will die back in winter) or shrub (won't). The excellent suggestions above are all shrubs, and it makes good sense to have shrubs in there.

My front also gets the sun from 4pm but then it gets very hot in summer all evening. I have two standard olive trees in large pots either side of the front door. They don't need to be fleeced in winter and have done well for the last 5 years.

@Purplewithred I've really shown my lack of knowledge there, I'm a complete novice. I want something evergreen (so I guess shrub) that maybe throws out some flowers or berries for a bit of seasonal interest.
@claudiawankleman (fab name BTW) thanks for the tip, my daughter throws off a scream to wake the dead if she sees a bug, so that's priceless info.

@wildwood6 Thanks for the suggestion, I inherited a beautiful mature garden when we bought the house, which is absolutely full of hydrangeas and fuscias, so I'm a bit hydrangead out now

Not all shrubs are evergreen. Herbaceous perennials die back completely in the winter so nothing is visible above ground; deciduous shrubs lose their leaves in winter but maintain their branches; evergreen shrubs have leaves all the round (they drop their leaves a few at a time all the year round rather than all in one go in autumn). Hebe and Skimmia are evergreen, Hydrangea is deciduous.

The Skimmia suggestion is good - scented white flowers in spring, and with the right variety, red berries from autumn to next spring (the birds don't like them, will eat almost anything instead). Hebes have masses of usually pink or purple flower spike for a long period during the summer but don't have berries.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/apr/04/plant-offer-skimmia-rubella

I love sarcococca Looks like box, has small white flowers in winter and smells amazing. It's evergreen and ticks so many boxes I don't know why it isn't more popular