I need a little help choosing a shrub to plant. I have two large "kidney bean" shape mulch areas in front of my house. One has 5 crape myrtles (light pink flower) and the other has 5 of what what my wife calls tulip trees, although they are a type of magnolia with light pink flowers in bloom now, that are about the shape of a crape myrtle right now (about 5 feet tall or so). I am wanting to plant shrubs around them. I was thinking of surround each tree with five shrubs/grasses/etc.

I would need 50 total plants. I was thinking of getting two different types and either having each bed have their own unique type, or splitting them up evenly, not sure yet. The area has a clay soil (north of Raleigh), and receives a lot of direct sunlight. I want something with some color to it, not just dark green leaves all year. I had some lingstrums and azaeles there two years ago, they did not do very good (not sure if it was my fault or just a bad choice of plants). Anyway, I transplanted them to a different area. I have some lorapetlums by the house that are doing great, but not sure if that would be too much purple if I planted them as well. I also have some cypress mops against the house I just planted.

Any advice on what I should plant? The lower maintenaince the better (I do not mind pruning once a year, but no every month).