One of my favourite plants for late winter into early spring are the flowering quinces. These dense, twiggy shrubs make ideal wall shrubs for an east facing wall. Their bright, delicate looking flowers give a burst of welcome colour this time of year.
Chaenomeles x superba tends to be more compact but with larger flowers than Chaenomeles speciosa. Both come in an array of colours from dark crimsons (with golden anthers) to corals and white. Good planting companions include Clematis alpina, Chimonanthus praecox or Garrya elliptica. No space on a wall? They can also make lovely free-standing specimens for the mid-border.