Could you post pics of the space and tell us the exposure (direction and amount of sun/shade)?

Not evergreen (neither were the roses?) but I think fothergilla 'Mount Airy' would look nice with the ae azaleas and the hollies

John

Here's a link and at the bottom "Group or mass in ...borders, foundation plantings... Mixes easily with rhododendrons which generally share the same soil requirements."

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Dear crcash2,
_Daphne odora_ fits the bill. If it doesn't decide to suddenly die, winter daphne will grow to your height and width specifications and is evergreen. In NW SC, it blooms in February and March with clusters of bell-shaped pink/white flowers having a delicious, almost intoxicating, fragrance.

crash, we cannot help you unless we know how much sunlight this location receives. Daphne, for example, would not tolerate full sun conditions, especially complicated by reflected sun and heat from the home.

Since you've mentioned the roses and the hollies, I can't help but deduce that this particular site is a very sunny one. It would also be helpful for us to know if this location is fast or slow draining. Do you have any idea of the soil pH?

Hi,
Just to respond...The area will get full afternoon sun. The soil is acidic...hydrangeas are a brilliant blue in my yard and red oaks do well. The site drains well, as does the entire yard. The area is in front of the garage, which is not heated. Flowering shrubbery like an encore azalea would be great, but if evergreens are a better choice given the site conditions, open to suggestions there as well. Thanks for the expertise!

Bump for help

If you love azaleas, it would be worth a try. You already know they like the soil in the area. You might also look into camellias. They are evergreen and flower when most things are dormant. Again, the afternoon heat for both of these is not ideal.

What do you not like about the fothergilla?

John

Just weighing in with a vote for the Fothergilla! The flowers come early, when there is often not a lot else going on, and they are very soft. The foliage is a dusky blue-green and quite lovely, but the real drama is in the fall when it turns a fiery orange. True it is quiet in winter, but you've got the hollies and camellias to give you deep green tones then. I'm thinking that the hot tones of the Fothergilla would look great contrasting with the holly.

Here is a link that might be useful: Form and Foliage

fothergilla, leucothoe, illicium. All native beauties.