Beginner Gardening: Help with shrub selection, 0 by dishlicious

dishlicious wrote:
Would love some ideas on what to plant in front of my new house. It's a duplex, in Massachusetts. Front is southern exposure, good full morning of sun. Each side is 9", and there is a basement window/half moon cut out under each. The red scroll you see in the picture is my idea of a bed shape that might work. I did buy two purple clematis for each lattice, but that's it. A clean slate!

I'm hankering to get going, and will be buying 2-gallon sizes. My only thoughts so far: dwarf cypress, japanese willow, blue holly, mock orange? But how many, where? I'm thinking it needs to be symmetrical too, but not sure.

Thanks in advance for any ideas!