Question about Small Evergreens

I have an area in the front of my house that I am in the process of changing up. The previous owner had planted several Indian Hawthorne, Firepower Nandina, and Hosta. They are fine plants, but they were crowded together, there was too much sun for the Hosta, and the combination was boring to me.

I have relocated the majority of the Hawthorne, Hosta, Nandina to other parts of the yard and have, in their place, planted two Sky Pencil Holly and orange, yellow, and red flowers (semi-evergreen daylilies, red hot pokers, Gaillardia, and Coreopsis). I have a hole, though, where I would like to put a small, neutral evergreen - something that grows to (or that I can fairly easily keep at) about 2' x 2'. I have looked at the options for easy growers, but I am not really interested in planting Boxwoods and the Nandina and Hawthorne are bigger than what I am looking for.

I would certainly welcome any suggestions you may be able to provide. I am in USDA Zone 7B/Sunset Climate Zone 33, have amended clay soil, full sun, and am fairly well protected from wind. .

Thank you very much in advance for any guidance you can provide.



This message was edited Oct 23, 2015 10:08 AM

I like some of the Euonymus.

A bit more than green:
Euonymus japonicus microphyllus 'Butterscotch'
Lavandula stoeches 'Otto Quast', L. x intermdia 'Provence' or others- do some research- size varies.

Grass-like
Carex barbarae
C. testaceae

Basic green:
Euonymus japonicus microphyllus

You will have to do some research, find out which varieties are available, but there are dwarf forms of...
Berberis buxifolia 'Nana'
Erica (many species, hybrids and varieties, quite a few stay in this size range)
Gardenia jasminoides 'White Gem'
Hypericum androsaemum, perhaps something like 'Ignite Red' or other variety
the smallest varieties of Weigela- 'Pink Poppet', 'Dark Horse', 'Elvera', and a few others.
Santolina rosmarinifolia
Pyracantha 'Red Elf'
Leptospermum scoparium 'Nanum Ruru', 'Nanum Tui'
Lavender x intermedia 'Grappenhall'
a group that are often just sold by variety:
Salvia greggii, S, x jamensis, S. microphylla

Thank you very much, I appreciate it.