Without knowing the symptoms before they died, particularly the Sambucus, its hard to say whether there's a problem in that area, but if both grew happily for ten years, then I can't see any reason why you shouldn't plant something else there. Fatsia prefers a shady spot that doesn't dry out too much, and which isn't in a windy frost pocket in winter.

Thanks bamboo. The only symptom i remember is the leaves shrivelling and then dying. I loved the Sambucus - such a graceful arching shrub and it was in a shady spot too so I'll give the fatsia a go as it seems the ideal place. That's if I've got the stamina to dig up the sambucus roots!

They'll be rather large after ten years, good luck with that...