For something that will be planted right by an entry, I would always opt for evergreen whenever possible, so that it looks similar in winter as it does in summer. A collection of bare and possibly thorny sticks for months on end is not very appealing nor welcoming. You can always mix in a few deciduous shrubs or perennials to lengthen the bloom season.

I'd consider abelia, Pieris japonica, kalmia or rhododendrons and azaleas. And there are lots of evergreens that either don't flower (conifers) or have inconspicuous flowers that will serve as a year round backdrop for showier shrubs and/or perennials.

That's true, I keep forgetting the winter time! Someone mentioned that to me before, and thought of bare sticks ..esp with thorns all through the winter made me cringe. We get colder months a lot longer than anything else so it would make great sense to have more evergreen.

I was thinking of combing something that flowers with evergreens. I was considering azaleas but kept reading that they prefer shady areas. And I haven't noticed how long the sun hits in that area but it def gets a lot of morning sun.

I will take a note of the ones you mentioned, so definitely on the hunt for evergreen mixed with deciduous/perennial

I have abelias & just love them. You can trim them to however small you want.

some evergreen possibilities: Otto Luyken Laurel, Canyon Creek Abelia, Encore Azaleas, Dwarf Pieris, Dwarf Mahonia, Daphne odora, Goshiki Osmanthus, Dwarf Camellia