Evergreen flowering plants

[Fariapea]

Hi. I was looking for some advice. We recently moved into our place and the front garden was very overgrown. We've removed a massive lavender bush and something else not sure what it was. Still need to remove the roots at some point and gravel over. Anyway I feel like the previous owners didn't add much colour at all to the front garden. We will only be at this current place for a couple of years so I was wondering if anyone knew of any fast growing evergreen flowery plants /shrubs that could cover the front a bit and bring some colour. I was thinking maybe a philadelphus which isn't evergreen and pyracantha? It'd be nice to enjoy the plants somewhat before we leave hence looking for fast growers. Ignore the blue circle. Thanks

The blue circle is actually where I am thinking of growing two plants from along the wall. The red path leads to our gate. Plan is to trim the bushes remaining, remove the roots in the middle of the garden, gravel over and plant a couple of flowery plants

Pieris, has colourful leaves and pretty flowers, very easy to grow. Any garden centre will have a range to choose from.

Hi. Thanks I just googled pieris and it says it's very slow growing. I am looking for something fast growing

Also needs acid soil so no good in chalky/limey soil. If azaleas or rhododendrons grow well in surroundings you would be ok with pieris. Maybe suggest a viburnum tinus 'Eve Price'...bit boring, but is evergreen and flowers and can be trimmed if gets too big. I'd like possibly an eleagnus 'limelight' or similar....evergreen and flowering but flowers insignificant but some lovely in winter/spring. If you'll be moving don't spend a fortune. Roundabout planting (ie plants used by local authorities as amenity value) are your friends.

California lilac or buddleia??? Both vigorous growers

Salvia's grow quickly & flower for a long time.

Buddleia isn’t evergreen

At ground level you could plant bugle (ajuga reptans) which spreads happily, blue flowers in spring that bees love, and keeps some leaves all year (in my garden anyway)

Its not a shrub, its a low ground cover plant - flower spikes about 6- 8", leaves in shiny dark green rosettes close to the ground

Hebe Midsummer Beauty. Although it says 'midsummer' it actually flowers well into autumn, and mine still had a few flowers into December last year. Butterflies and bees love it.

Heavenly bamboo - Nandina Domestica. (It's not actually a bamboo and not invasive in the UK). It has delicate, evergreen foliage with striking red or purple tints of new foliage in spring and in summer. It bears sprays of tiny white flowers in summer, then berries in winter.

Choisya varieties (mexican orange blossom); such as Choisya Ternata Sundance - aromatic golden yellow leaves with fragrant white flowers; and Choisya × Dewitteana ‘Aztec Pearl’.

Thanks for pointing the acidity issue out. We have more alkaline soil for sure. Yeh exactly my thoughts I want something that'll grow quick and not expensive. Any experience with pyracantha? I read online its very fast growing and produces berries

California lilac is beautiful! Thx for the suggestion

Pyracantha has thorns. Big, nasty ones.

What about Ceanothus. It's blue flowered, evergreen, bees love it and you can get bush or ground covering types so you can choose a height that suits you.

Oh I knew it had thorns but didn't know they were that big. Yes another op mentioned ceanothus. Its beautiful so I may actually go for that one! Thanks

Vibernum

Ceanothus is the same as California lilac.

Also look at Hebe.

I had wondered why OP had said another pp had mentioned it but I couldn't see who. I thought it was a specific type of lilac, eg evergreen (which is also lovely but I think it's a bit thuggish for a small front garden). Thanks for the clarification

What about winter flowering box? They have small dark green leaves and the flowers smell amazing

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/16452/sarcococca-confusa/details

@Pixiedust1234 Thanks for your comment. I was in two minds whether to post - I thought the OP probably knew because she’d googled, but I reckon there’s probably 10 lurkers for every poster in a thread, so I hoped someone would find it useful. Thanks for confirming I was right!

Common names can be very misleading. My favourite is Meadow Rue (Thalictrum, in the buttercup family), Goats Rue (pea family) and Wall Rue (a fern) - none of them related to Rue (a herb in the same family as oranges)

I'm always happy to be corrected/pointed in the right direction in this gardening section as I enjoy learning about nature

Escallonia pink Elle is beautiful 🩷