Need your suggestions for plant replacement

This is the front area of my house. I'd like to replace the abelia with something else and I need suggestions. The brugs up against the house die out in winter and the fern is just in a pot. So the ones that are evergreen will be the evergreen clematis on the trellis, the pineapple guava (that has a bluish cast) then I want something in front of the guava to replace the abelia. The abelia does well enough up closest to the house that gets less sun and less cold in the winter (this spot does face south so they don't look too bad, but the more out of the "courtyard" area you get, the abelia get scraggly looking. Also, I'm not crazy about the yelowish green color of the abelia next to the bluish look of the pineapple guava.

The spot where the abelias are pretty much get full sun till from about 10 am till 5 pm (ouch!)

I cover the crinum lily when we have a freeze since I'm bound and determined to keep it.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Barbara

Ever thought about salvia "San Carlos Festival" for that spot? It's evergreen, has gorgeous flowers 10 months of the year here in Charleston, and doesn't get real big and rambunctious (About 3'x3' at maturity).

Stono,

Never thought about it or knew about it! You're great! I didn't know there were so darn many salvias, either. You really think it would be evergreen here? Remember ..... I'm a good 5-8 degrees colder than you in the winter. Also, my soil is not as good as yours so I don't think it would get quite as large, which isn't a problem. (My 3-4 ft. cannas get about 2-2 1/2 ft. here - go figure!)

Now ..... what would you think about using it with the pineapple guava AND one more thing? Now just think of the one more thing! LOL!

Are you sure it doesn't look too "cottagy"?

Thanks so much. The pictures are gorgeous that I googled and found.

Anyone have a link to that salvia? Can't seem to find it and I don't want to look through 10 pages in the plant files.

http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Current/Detail/00185.html

Here's one and there are more if you google it.

http://www.herbsociety.org/promplant/smicrophylla.php

Just found one and I also found the PD one. Sometime Google is easier to find plants then on Dave's search engine.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/98551/

Found it but not many reviews.

http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/i/17499/ Here's another from DG.

What do you think of it? You always have good tast, Core.

In the above link, I clicked on Marilynbeth's diary and apparently she's really into lots of different salvias. If you're looking for salvia, you might want to take a look at all her entries - she has lots of pictures and several of the San Carlos.

I like it and I have a spot for something that is drought tolerant. I have black and blue salvia around a Bougainvillea and this salvia might work out mixed in. I'm going on what stono said about the one in Charleston.

I'm with you and stono. It looks like one to have.