Dithering about what to plant in my border

[ImSidneyFuckingPrescott]

I've got a (potentially) lovely raised border I need to start planting out but I'm dithering about what to get. It's about 7m long and 1m deep and gets full sun in the summer. I had been thinking 3 salix flamingo trees, evenly spread, but then I start struggling.

Any good suggestions? I would love a bit of winter colour and don't mind a bit of maintenance but we are Northern so needs to be fairly hardy for winter but able to take full sun in the summer.

I’m in the same boat. So here for ideas

I have a north facing garden so not as much sun as you but here are some of my faves that love sun

Mexican Orange - evergreen and the smell of the flowers is absolutely divine. I'm going to try it in my north facing garden but it loves sun so is perfect for a sunny border

Roses - you could grow them at the back maybe? Different colours and get different ones that flower at different times

Cerro Potosi - absolutely beautiful bright pink flowers - evergreen too and loves full sun

Allium - front of the border/love sun
Verbena - also front of the border

Skimmias? Alliums, delphiniums and verbena bonariensis for structure, maybe a little zebra grass. I love my paeonies and gardenias too. I’m trying to go for a mix of evergreen for winter intetest and deciduous. My erysimum have flowered all winter and I’m Scotland.

Hollyhocks? For that fairytale castle vibe.