Neither peonies nor most common hydrangeas remain evergreen through winter. Not sure why yours did, unless in a very protected microclimate, but even that is highly unusual.

There are many flowering broadleaved evergreen shrubs you can include in your garden - most are quite low maintenance once established. There are also a good many perennials that retain their foliage through winter. A visit to a good local garden center or nursery (not one of the box stores) should introduce you to a whole range of these types of plants. Look for hebes, dwarf escallonia, heaths and heathers, pieris, hardy gardenias, rhodies and azaleas........the list goes on :-)

And since flowers on most plants tend to be very transitory - appearing only for a few weeks at best - be sure to consider the effect of foliage color and texture when planning your garden. You can increase the year round appeal of your garden considerably if you include a variety of foliage colors and effects.

Tell us where you live and we can recommend good garden center

Thanks,

I'm in Lebanon..

What does the Hydrangea and Peonie normally do during the winter? Does it normally die away and start fresh again?

Hydrangeas (except the few evergreen, climbing ones grown here but not fully hardy) drop their leaves in fall but keep their bare stems. Herbaceous peonies die down to the ground, overwinter as rootstocks with prominent reddish buds. Tree peonies have sparse woody stems that remain above ground and slowly grow taller from year to year.

You can check out lots of plants at forestfarm.com. Here are some evergreens or nearly evergreens I like, most with fragrant flowers-
Abelia
Elaeagnus ebbingei, plain and variegated
Sarcococca ruscifolia
Osmanthus, various species
Ternstroemia gymnanthera
Daphne odora, x caucasius Summer Ice, collima
Choisya ternata
Choisya arizonica 'Aztec Pearl'
evergreen Blueberries Legacy, Sunshine Blue, Misty