You could try a trailing juniper, however, leaving it to the cold winter isn't the best idea. If the soil freezes solid, you will probably kill them. Junipers are tough, but no plant likes frozen roots. Joe

"Plus, I wouldn't mind seeing some blooms out my window." The bloom period is fairly short- what about all the other months of the year? Hydrangeas would not be my choice as a front yard focal point for that reason alone- I want the front of my home to be attractive 12 months a year, not just one. To that end I'd really use some conifers and broadleaved evergreens to do the main work and use several seasonal interest things to provide the punch. In a smaller yard I'd use dwarf conifers and evergreens and likely use a lot of pots for my seasonal color- pots that can easily be switched out as their period of interest wanes and another pot is starting up. I am 6b and the front of my home also faces east. The majority of my filler plants are dwarf conifers and boxwood. A Japanese Maple as a focal point and lots of ferns and hostas to fill space. Then in pools on either side of the entry I have colorful seasonal perennials and pots of annuals. I find this approach works well- there is always something interesting going on. I truly think what you need to do is measure your space and get it down on graph paper. Mark your sun/shade and how the light moves. Then you can see what size plants you have room for and can start looking for what you like. I suggest that you spend some time in your nearest botanical garden to see what the possibilities are for your area. You have several near you- GO. Wear your walking shoes and take photos. Driving parks and high end neighborhoods is also helpful- if you see something you like snap a photo and the ID the plants and duplicate that look. Or show us a photo of the front of the home. You are designing here and now is the time to make your mistakes- not after putting something in the ground, growing it for a year only to find out conditions don't suit it. You have a blank slate so take that to the Landscape Design forum and ask for help. I think hydrangeas are a mistake- they're just not that interesting when not in bloom. They can be part of a group but not a main focus other than their blooming period. I have lots of hydrangeas- paniculatas, arborescens, serratas- I ditched my macrophyllas due to frustration at lack of blooms caused by my unwillingness to do winter protection. None of those I have would suit the front of a home as a featured plant to build a design around. Spend more time choosing and planning. Summer's a bad time to plant anyway, so you're looking at fall planting at the earliest, so you have time to research and get it right.

The Hinoki will get wider as well. And not so 'very, very slowly' :-) This is an intermediate form of C. obtusa with an annual growth rate of 6-10" and will eventually become 12' tall and 8' wide. Both the yew and the boxwood could work but these DO grow very slowly so could be years before they achieve what you are looking for. In my area, the euonymus has issues (scale, powdery mildew, random dieback) and therefore tends not to be widely carried any longer. My first choice would be the Japanese holly. It is easily as shade tolerant as the box - probably even more so - has an acceptable growth rate and stays narrow......usually :-) Can get some splaying of exterior branches but those are easily confined or pruned out.

Vinca minor holds up pretty well to being stepped on, especially if it is not a constant issue. Ditto the ajuga, which is no more aggressive or invasive than the vinca. The geranium is not a bad choice either but would definitely show the effects of any foot traffic. Flatter is better than taller :-))