Love perennials, but they come and then go. You'll be left will little color after they do their thing. Be sure once blossoms have gone that the remaining foliage looks interesting. Plan to tuck in some annuals here and there to keep the color going after the first burst subsides.

There is a very general landscape design rule of thumb that front entry gardens should look roughly the same throughout the year so they continue to provide a welcoming entry to visitors during the winter months as they do during the summer months. You are not going to achieve that by planting only herbaceous perennials....or filling in with annuals. They will disappear in cold weather and you will be left with a bare, empty planting bed for a good 4-6 months.

You need some sort of physical presence there year round and that means adding shrubs for structure and garden 'bones'. And wherever possible, a reasonable percentage should be evergreen shrubs. Fortunately, in zone 7, you are not lacking for choices.

I'd visit your better local garden center and see what they offer that fits those requirements. There should be lots to choose from that will remain in size scale, enjoy that exposure and growing conditions and even provide flowers and/or foliage color.

btw, since the Little Quickfire hydrangea produces a permanent above ground woody structure, it is considered a shrub rather than a herbaceous perennial. So you've got the first step....now you just need to add to it :-)