How about variegated Goldflimmer rhodendron

It's flowers are purple.

Or a Daphne for the perfume.

Hypericum 'Hidcote', evergreen, likes shade, yellow flowers, tough and reliable.

Thank you both very much. I've already had a Hypericum Hidcote just along the fence from this spot and it didn't do well at all; I eventually dug it out. I was disappointed, because I do love them. I have never considered a rhododendron, and having looked at a few photos, really like that idea, so will see what I can find locally.

Choysia makes a nice solid bush to fill a corner, with white flowers in spring, and often a few flowers later in the year.

pampas grass or St john's wort

Thank you Lizzie and Eamonn. I used to have a Choiysia, actually, in a very large pot in this area. It did quite well for a few years but then started to die off. I've since tried several things in the spot but haven't had much success - but we do have a suspect neighbour who is a bit too handy with weedkiller spray, unfortunately, so I'm never sure whether or not the plants die of natural causes.

If you have clay soil then rhododendron's won't survive… Snag with planting anything in a corner is it will grow outwards to find the light.

You may rue the day with Pampass to

Back to the drawing board then. How about Elaeagnus?

Might work but the branches will still bend forward all the time looking for the light...

Choisya or Fatsia ?

Intrigued to know why Rhododendrons won't grow on clay soil Moon grower ? They thrive in Sheffield park on clay and my parents are on solid clay and the Rhodos love it

To thrive they need an acidic soil which, generally, clay isn't. They also need something more humus rich to grow in. If Sheffield park and your parents have been working on the clay for years will be fine. That said no rhodo. is going to like being stuck in a corner soil conditions right or not :)

I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea but Spotted Laurel is yellow and green and brightens a corner in winter. It is sturdy, good tempered and easy to prune with secateurs as the wood is soft. I have one on thick clay in a shady corner facing north east and it has thrived for 15 years.

cotoneaster?

Thank you all. I don't want to leave the corner bare, moon grower, so will plant something and if it cranes forward, so be it! An alternative might be to put an obelisk or some other structure there, and I will consider that too. A Rhododendron may just work because the area is under an Acer Crimson King tree, in improved soil, which other than trying to withstand the (suspected) efforts of my neighbour to kill it, is still thriving. However, an established Ribes and the new Pyracantha that I planted last year in that corner did not survive the (suspected) attack, sadly. Hence the space.

I love spotted laurel, actually, and already have one a few feet away! I just wondered about cotoneaster myself this evening. How easy are they?

What about a Euonymus fortunei? I've just planted a 'Golden Harlequin' in my garden. They don't mind shade...you can get all sorts of different variegations if gold/green isn't right.

Thank you for the suggestion Spritzhenry. Euonymus is my favourit shrub, and I already have several of them in this border (it's quite large), so fancied something different, and taller, in this spot. However, if I go for an obelisk, then I'd probably surround it with these lovely shrubs!

I have a daphne bohlua and it only has late afternoon sun. It is glorious for its scent at this time of year and there is a variegated one which I bought for a friend. I try to persuade everyone to try a daphne - my all time favourite shrub.

Mahonia aquifolium - gets about 5 feet with a similar spread, evergreen large holly like leaves, yellow clusters of mimosa like flowers from around February through to April. Leaves take on reddish tones if the weather is cold.

If everything dies it does sound suspicious. And obelisks and statues are not affected by weedkiller spray...you could try one of the less vigorous ivies up it - the shiny leaves don't readily absorb weedkiller spray, as you will know if you've ever tried to kill any...

Thank you everyone, these are some lovely suggestions that I'll investigate!