Shrub/tree for a small front garden
 

Hi all

I'm planning to sort out my front garden this year; it's currently
paved and very boring. The garden is approx. 3m*6m, though not all
the space is usable as I need to maintain access to the front door,
and there are a few manhole covers. The garden is south-facing and
unshaded; there's some shelter but not much. I'm in Cambridge, so the
weather is usually reasonably dry all year round (by English
standards), though the winters can be cold.

My current plan is to use various ornamental grasses and lilyturfs,
with a shrub or two for vertical contrast. I'm looking for something
with white highlights, I think, though that's not definite. Ideally,
it would either stop growing or be prunable at around 8-10ft high,
with a spread no greater than 10ft.

The other requirement is that it be relatively low-maintenance: I'm
young, inexperienced as a gardener, and time-poor!

Any suggestions would be gratefully received; suggestions accompanied
by links to websites with pictures even more so.

Thanks in advance,

Henry