Replacing dead Hebes. What shrubs are hardy but small enough for front of a border?

[user1471530109]

I have googled this! But I'm getting Hebe come back in the search and others I'm not familiar with.

I've lost so many plants this year. 2 ceanothus, 4 Hebes (there is a speckling of a few green leaves but I've never seen my evergreen globe Hebes look like a brown mass of dead twigs) and a star jasmine.

I need to dig out the Hebes. They are very prominent and look awful. They must have been in the garden close to 20years as way before my time and the previous owners were in no state to garden in the last few years. They are right at the front of the borders. One a bit big for the space as getting close to 1m high. Any ideas what I can replace with? I'd want some colour. Not necessarily all the same shrub. Ideally evergreen, but not essential. Most importantly, needs to be hardy. We had -15 here for a week or more!

Also, why do my crocosmia never make it past a year? What am I doing wrong?

I appreciate your help. Hoping to go to garden centre later and all a bit new to gardening still 💐

I've just spotted a 20 year old cordyline has died too 😭. It had developed a trunk and got to about 4 ft. The trunk is completely rotten. It had followed me to 4 houses.

Any tips on removing well established shrubs? I've got the ceanothus out not to much trouble. But the first Hebe I've just removed took some doing! It's broken my garden fork! On my own and am not known for my muscular strength. I did win though. It is out. But 3 more to go.