Boxwood is highly attractive to bees when in bloom (yes, it blooms -- all non-conifers do). The plant will actually vibrate with bee activity, although it doesn't have a very long bloom period. Dwarf nandina ('Gulf Stream') is a possibility - tends to bloom very infrequently compared to other nandina selections, stays relatively short and compact and tolerates a wide range of sun and soil conditions and is moderately drought tolerant once established. Nandina can be invasive in some areas so check to see how it behaves in your region.

Thanks so much for the info! I considered the Nandina because I love the way they look, but I read that they are poisonous (hydrocyanic acid) and I am scared to put them in my yard. I have a 2 year old who puts everything in his mouth. I am scared pretty red berries will be just too tempting.

It is disappointing to hear about the bees and boxwood, that was my fail-safe.

It is only the berries of the nandina that are considered toxic and berries only come from flowers. If the plant seldom produces flowers - as is the case with 'Gulf Stream' - or the flowers are removed, no berries can be produced and therefore no issues with possible toxic ingestion. Removing flowers is a good way to curb any potential issues that may arise from berrying plants that may have toxic properties. Bees are a bit different - if it flowers, chances are very good bees will be drawn to it but some flowering plants are much worse in attracting bees than others. Boxwood tends to rate very highly with them :-)

It is important to understand that the vast majority of common garden ornamentals are toxic to some degree or another. If you avoided including any plant that was potentially toxic, you'd have a very empty and boring garden :-) Additionally, a good many common veggies are toxic in some fashion - like the leaves of tomatoes or potatoes. Since all poisonous (to some extent) plants are nearly impossible to avoid, supervising small children in the garden is always a smart plan. Most of us have kids (and pets) and garden without incident - it's just a matter of training them not to put anything in their mouth that mommy or daddy has not approved first. And avoiding those plants that have very serious toxicity issues.

Cutting off the flowers and berries...that is a great idea! I am always with the kids in the yard, but sometimes that little guy is fast! :)

I love the nandina, I think that is the direction I am heading. I would love anything with red, burgundy or purple hues in the yard. I am not a big fan of yellows and pinks.

Coming at this from a different direction, what about winter blooming shrubs? My line of thinking is that bees are dormant during winter, so if something blooms during winter I won't have nearly as many bees as other times of the year. Is this a possibility?

Thank you so much gardengal48 for all your advice!!! I really appreciate it! :)