I suggest the person takes the time to visit a few gardens, including RHS and Nat Trust, see what they like in different seasons, read books and catalogues, look at labels, talk to gardens (real face-to-face dialogue). [...]
I expect you meant "talk to gardeners". However I like the idea of talking to gardens. I regularly talk to insects and plants (and to myself, of course) .
@robairdmacraignil’s suggestion of Abelia is a really good shout, I forgot about that one 😊 Should be evergreen or near as dammit in your location and a very generous long bloomer, subtly fragrant. Happy in any old soil and drought-tolerent, another really tough good doer. I usually give mine a mid-season chop and it happily flowers again after.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
How would you feel about long-flowering but only semi-evergreen? Our salvia hot lips kept its leaves throughout our (relatively mild) winter. Correct size, happy in dry soil, smells great, ridiculously long flowering period
Euryops is long flowering. Mine started in April and shows no sign of stopping yet. It is semi evergreen . I find it hardy here which is on the S.Wales coast.
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When time permits, I will make un tour de votre jardin Bretanique.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."