Can someone suggest a favorite shrub?

I have an area about 15 ft long by the east side of my house that I would like to plant some flowering shrubs. I prefer ever I was thinking something along the lines of snowball bushes, photina or ? I prefer something that will not get over 5-6 ft.
Thank you for your suggestions
Dee
zone 9a
Williams, CA

How about hydrangea?

Photinia is not a good bloomer and can get very large, up to about 20 ft if not pruned regularly. How about some gardenias, there are several varieties. Also, Golden Acuba or Gold Dust plant, these also need to be pruned but are pretty slow growers. Are you talking right next to your house, or away as a shrub border? http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/130/index.html

Dee, you are north of Napa -- do you get some frost? How much shade is there? What do you plan to do for water? How good is the soil? Do you insist on evergreen or will a mix of evergreen & deciduous be suitable? How wide is this area? How much work are you willing to spend on pruning, staking, deadheading, etc.? Are you trying to hide an ugly view, dress up a fence, or what?

I'm in the SF Bay Area (Oakland hills) and down here aucuba is very much a shade plant that gets 10' tall but can be easily pruned lower. With water it is a VERY fast grower in CA. More than a couple of hours of morning sun (never afternoon) and it gets toasted.

5-6' is more of a tall subshrub; many shrubs get in the 10-15' range in CA with sufficient water and decent soil.

Cestrums, abutilons, India hawthorn, variegated rhamnus, hebe, buddleia, barberry, camellia, broom, daphne, pearl bush (Exochorda), grevillea, kalmia, leptospermum, peony, mock orange, pieris, rhododendrons, roses, upright rosemary, lilac, weigela and viburnum are just SOME of the recommended shrubs from the Sunset Western Garden Book.

If you don't have this book, I strongly urge you to buy it! No one should garden in CA without it. It is the one truly indispensable book for Western gardeners.

Happy gardening!

Thanks to all of you for your replys-wow what a storehouse of information you are!
JK, yes we are north-east of napa, just off I-5 app. 60 miles north of Sacramento. I was vague on my needs-sub shrub is probably the direction I am looking to go. morning sun until around 1 p.m., water not a big problem
the bed is about 3-4 ft wide, I would prefer the shrubs a little away from the
side of the house, (something to soften and hide the 2 ft foundation!)
The shrubs that you listed are some that do appeal to me-Weigelia and that
type I do like.
Thank you!
Dee

Gumpo Azaleas are compact and only grow to about 2ft tall and are spreading, so are the creeping and daisy gardenias.

Nice, where do I find those Gumpo Azaleas locally?

Susan

I really don't know - we got them at an independant nursery that I think is out of business now. They were pretty expensive, I think $10. about 25 years ago. They come in dfferent colors , but I love this coral one - these bloom much later that the other Azaleas, about May I think. You might try Pikes, or a specialty nursery. Good luck, If I see some I will let you know.