Oh, I forgot to mention, since this is for the front of our house, we'd like to find something that looks nice year-round in our Zone 7 (north-central Oklahoma) climate. Bonus points for having seasons of flowering! :) Thanks again for any help!!

how about favoring us with a pic of the site ...

do understand ... that most size estimates are at ten year... nothing really ever stops growing at some magical height ...

with shrubs ... most flowering shrubs.. proper maintenance is called: rejuvenation pruning... google the term ... not many shrubs are plant and forget type things... if size is an issue ...

google as well .... the names of the plants already suggested... and then first.. convert to the latin name ... and then flip to the images side of google ... i will do the first for you at the link ... note how i manipulated the name with wintergreen in quotes ....

in the pix... i see them pruned into size and shape.. and i see them left to themselves .... you should intuit.. that.. left to themselves.. they should probably not be planted within 6 to 8 feet of a foundation ...

and never forget.. foundation plantings ... are planted to hide a foundation.. NOT ON THE FOUNDATION .... i dont think you give us information on how far from the house you are planting ....

for the best recommendations.. give us a pic...

good luck

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

The shrubs suggested will all work fine in that location.

While the statement "nothing really ever stops growing at some magical height ... " is more true than not with trees, it is not entirely accurate with shrubs. There are dozens of shrubs that will literally stop putting on any significant growth once they have reached their projected mature size and others that will continue to develop in height, attaining almost tree-like proportions. The ones listed all fit into the first category :-))

No direct sun is a different situation than full shade. Unless there is a wide overhang from the house or garage roof and no close by large trees casting shade, the north side of a structure typically offers bright but indirect light. That should increase your choices.

I am going to take a wild guess from your screen name that you are located in Oklahoma? All I know about gardening in OK I've gathered by watching an old HGTV program, Gardening by the Yard, with Paul James. Paul lived and gardened in Tulsa and most of the show was filmed in his personal garden. IIRC, he could grow a very wide range of plants, almost what I could here in my warmer, northwest coastal climate. The only thing I don't recall clearly was soil pH -- not sure how well he could do the acid loving Ericaceous stuff like rhodies and azaleas or pieris. If available in local garden centers, then it must be okay! And if you are not located in OK, then ignore this :-)

Other small shrubs you could consider are the above mentiooned evergreen azaleas, dwarf rhodies and pieris, Leucothoe 'Scarletta', 'Gold Mops' or 'Golden Charm' threadleaf cypress, Viburnum davidii, even some of the more compact hydrangeas, like the Endless Summer series.

And if your planned boxwood is indeed 'Wintergreen', it is not a Buxus microphylla (Japanese boxwood) but Buxus sinica var. insularis, or Korean boxwood. The big difference as far as you are concerned is that Korean boxwood is hardier and also much more compact. Although relatively slow growing, Japanese boxwood can get big!

btw, rejuvenation pruning is seldom applied to broadleaf evergreen shrubs - this is a technique that is most appropriate to deciduous flowering shrubs, especially "caning" shrubs or those that produce multiple stems from the root crown.

---"If available in local garden centers, then it must be okay"---
Can I just emphasize the "local" part of GardenGal's good suggestion?
Your LOCAL and more reputable green houses/garden centers probably will not stock items that are inappropriate for your area. Do not look to other "garden centers" (such as those that are a part of any big box stores) for guidance.
In my state, most soils are alkaline - with a pH between 7.8 and 8.2. Our average rainfall is 14"/yr, and we have extreme heat and cold temperatures. Yet every year they sell blueberries, tropical hibiscus, rhodies, azaleas, whatever they think people will buy and then my frustrated friends ask want to know why their plants died. I grow blueberries in containers and maintaining proper ph is still challenging because itâÂÂs hard to store the amount of rainwater they need.
You could plant hosta with some shade annuals for color; e.g., impatiens.
Google hosta gardens and look at the images; there are so many beautiful varieties with a wide range of shade tolerances so you should be able to put together a nice hosta garden.
It sounds like GardenGal is saying you can grow those shrubs if your shade is bright and she has the background to know that.
Viburnum davidii, rhododendrums, and azaleas are great choices if your soil is acidic.
If your soil has really good drainage what about Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie'? (I suggest it because I wish I could have it!)
If you decide on boxwood look at Buxus sinica var. insularis x B. sempervirens 'Green Velvet'; I think it's nicer than 'Winter Green/Beauty/Gem'.
Alpine Currant Ribes alpinum will take full shade, tolerates alkaline soil, and is pretty low maintenance.
Google is your best friend!
Kay