In my climate - north of you and quite a bit cooler in winter - these plants are almost evergreen. You might need to trim off the spent flower stalks to tidy up but they should stay pretty decent looking all winter. I wait until spring to trim mine up (I usually cut back by half or they get huge and floppy) and remove whatever wayward or ugly growth may still be present.

My dark purple Blackbird is still flowering and making my hummingbirds happy. Little Red Riding Hood is an earlier bloomer but will produce a second flush for me if cut back in early summer.

My Penstemon/beardtongue are mostly P. "Mystica' so I can't accurately comment on your specific cultivar(s). In my moderately cold zone Z6a, they're essentially care-free perennials that attract pollinators (bees, butterflies & hummingbirds) and require zero care/maintenance. They reliably survive even the harshest of cold winters, return each year, perform like they did the previous year and require little (if any) help from the gardener.

I essentially grew them (from seed, via winter sowing), planted them and have since allowed them to do as they prefer. Mine are planted at the back of the house since that's where they get the maximum amount of full sun. The bees don't appear to resent their placement.

My plants thrive in slightly-acidic sandy loam and receive no supplemental water or fertilizer.

Generally it's best to let plants do what they do naturally. Chances are there's no need for you to "do" much so long as they're growing in healthy soil. When plants go dormant in cold weather, it's a natural process and they don't need much of anything other than some mulch that protects their roots or the crown of the plant.

If you don't want something planted at the front door that's going to go dormant in cold weather, you need to look at evergreens or cold-tolerant shrubs like holly. That would be a question folks on the shrub forum might be helpful answering for you.

Perennials (other than Hellebore/Lenten rose) are generally warm-season plants that go dormant in winter.

That looks like strictus, or Rocky Mountain penstemon. It is evergreen here in southwest Kansas.

mmmm have sown a large number of these (thanks Mara) so hopefully, my little collection will expand beyond the usual garden hybrids.
A truly easy (no) care perennial for me apart from a spring hackover.

Many of the popular beardtongue are hybrid Penstemon, as the one in the photo appears to be. In warmer climates - like the OP's - these are evergreen subshrubs, so perfectly acceptable as an entry planting, as they retain their bushy, evergreen appearance all winter (and may even produce a few flowers). They do tend to be somewhat short-lived however, so plan on replacing after 3-5 years.

Great! I am quite a novice at this so I will be posting many questions. It's great to have advice so readily available from experienced gardeners. Thanks.

I live in Wyoming and have just planted my first Penstemon plants in well draining pots, in full sun, by my front door. They were in full bloom when I planted them. The flowers are drooping and the leaves are starting to turn yellow. Help!