I like dwarf alberta spruces. I know they are common, but they're so cute.
I'm also adding some globe arborvitaes to my gardens this year,but at this point I can't exactly recommend them. I'll let you know how they work out. lol
:) Laura

In the PNW conifers grow like weeds and come in many colors, shapes and sizes...and go with other plants to boot!

A few of mine...

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You could grow any of these and more.

tj

Rhododendrons are my pick! They have miniatures (like 'Purple Gem') if you need to keep them small.

My evergreens include Dianthus 'Greystone', cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), Heuchera and Heucherella, Rhododendrons, Leucathoe, along with needled evergreens.

OMG. . thank you all. Tsugajunkie, I LOVE your gardens. Mine are in full sun so I can't do the hosta's but on one side of my path I am doing a conifer garden. I really love what you have done. I have been collecting conifers one pay day at a time. . . LOL.

cedars, alberta spruce, hollies, yews, euonymous, and box. It all depends on how you set them up. For cedars, alberta spruce and yews for example, these can be ulitized to form pyramidal topiaries and can be set in the middle of the bed. Cottage gardens are supposed to be chaotic in design and the addition of topiaries helps to show a form of control.

tsugajunkie, Absolutely gorgeous. I've never even considered conifers before, but am now.

Pat-tea- At your latitude, many folks grow hosta in full sun. And thanks for the kind words.

Sandi- Thank you, as well. I am a conifer enabler. lol

Here are a few conifer pix with more of a cottage garden application in my yard...

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tj

So very lovely tsugajunkie. I have been collecting conifers for almost a year waiting for the dirt work to be done on our property. Your post has confirmed my vision for my front yard. We live on 2.5 acres in the hills with a mountain view and woods behind us. So to fit into our setting I wanted to use lots of conifers mixed with my roses and other cottage plants that I love. You have pulled off the look I want.

I am using dwarf conifers as well as some miniature's as my gardening space in the front is limited. I have: Korean Fir, Bennets Canadian Hemlock, Thuga pilica Gruene Kuge, weeping white spruce, cham wissels aguro, Dwarf blue swiss pine, dwarf balsom fir, lemon cypress (which I have to bring in for the winter and a couple of ferry puffs which are adorable. For the hydrangea and rose garden across the path I have a drawf bulevard cypress and want to get two hinoki cpress and a dwarf alberta spruce. So glad to have found my garden sole mate. . . LOL.

I live in a warmer zone but I think at least one of these two would work for you, too. I love conifers (but can't grow them in my garden), but these have a good foliage contrast as companions.

Coleonema is hardy only down to 20 degrees. But Euonymus is apparently good down to zone 5. I have been very pleased with the variegated euonymus, available at big box stores everywhere. It loves the sun or even bright shade, is easily pruned, seems to have no pests, and is a good steady grower.
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Thanks, Euonymus goes on my list for sure. Thanks for the picture with the plant identification. I am in zone 6. I need to change m zone option on CG. We moved a little farther north and are now in zone 6.

I keep thinking of new ones. I see you are in PNW so Escallonia should be OK. And Santolina. And rosemary. And Lonicera nitida (there are some lovely variegated ones like Lemon Beauty). Some of the cotoneasters, Viburnum davidii. Maybe be Crinodendrum hookerianum? Illicium henryi?

And how could I forget Myrtle, Myrtus communis - a classic of the Victorian cottage garden.

I guess I'm just too obvious in saying BOXWOOD! Handsome, quaint and SO COTTAGE GARDEN

"Wintergem" boxwood

"Green Velvet" boxwood - Will grow more quickly B. Sempervirens suffruticosa to form a nice knee high hedge

True English dwarf box 'suffruticosa'

almost any chamycypress that won't grow too big. But "big" is all relative. A chamycypress that tops out at 12 h x 6 w might be too big for some gardens or be a perfect anchor or focal point in another.

there's no ugly chamycypresses. the foliage is lovely even in winter.
I'd like to suggest your question (or search) should be refined quite a bit: you must consider ultimate height, sun tolerance, drought tolerant, resistance to winter burn and dessication. Consider winter foliage color: some evergreens becomewhat I consider a nasty olive; others deepen to bronze or gray and can be lovely. Do you want "green", blue, blue green, gold, yellow, bold, subtle.
Can plants grow close to its root system? Can it carry a snow load or are you willing to wrap it in burlap, or build a shed over it or go out the freezing cold to shake the snow off?
I will offer my personal experience with alberta spruce. In hot dry climates (or an especially hot dry summer) they are very suseptable to spider mites. As you drive around look at the AS in your area. If there are large areas of brown and defoliation on many it suggests spider mites will be a problem.
Of all the "wrong plant, wrong place" problems, I think underestimating the ultimate size of a tree is the biggest and most common problem gardeners make, regardless of experience.
Finally, if you are thinking of moving to a true mixed border of perennials, shrubs and trees see if your library has Michael Dirr's Woody Shrubs and Trees. If you have some bucks to burn buy it. It is an indispensable bible on the subject; readable and encyclopedic knowledge. My friends tell me it is available as an app for better on the spot shopping decisions.

Long answer to a short question.
idabean

Thank you for all the good advice. I am trying not to stress over this but there is so much to think about. Idabean, spider mite has been a big problem this summer in our community. I'm thinking after reading your post that AS may not be my best choice for the location I want to put it. I want a clean, conical, small evergreen for near my front door. . . I may be asking too much of a tree. . lol.

Pat_tea, you need to take a road trip to Eatonville, WA and visit Coenosium Gardens. Bob and his wife are very nice people and his knowledge is superb. He will help you get a handle on what is out there and what would fit for you. You may have seen some of his posts occasionally in the Conifer Forum. Though usually mail order, they do allow on site visits if you call ahead.

tj

Here is a link that might be useful: Catalog

My friend has had two compact chamycypresses in large planters by her main door (a side door right on asphalt) for years. They are just beautiful. They stay conical, but are soft and ruffled with gold tips. Please just do me a favor and look them up!
chamycypress gracilimus aurea nana. there are probably named varieties of gold ones that I don't know. And spellcheck hates how I'm spelling the plant's name so I apologize to the plant and readers for mangling it. Too lazy to look it up and correct myself.
idabean

I don't have suggestions for evergreens as I live in a coniferous forest and haven't found any dwarf conifers I like that will grow well here so tend not to add any to my garden. There are many other options tho and one example I love is Freda's use of Catmint to edge pathways. Link below. Due to her inspiration I propagated my one Walker's Low into many altho still don't have enough to completely edge any of my paths. This year I used fine leaf Dusty Miller to border one of my new pathways and really like that look. Not very perennial in this climate altho likely would be in yours. Occasionally they survive the winter here but I usually buy new starts and they grow quickly.

Here is a link that might be useful: Freda's blog