How about making a border that looks good in the winter? You can then fill in any gaps with bulbs, primroses and busy lizzies to give colour at other times of the year. Viburnum tinus (flowers October to March), mahonia japonica (early spring) plus variegated euonymus ('Silver Queen' or 'Emerald Gaiety') will all grow quite happily in the position you have described

You could train a pyracantha on your fence. They are evergreen in all but the harshest winters, have white flowers in Spring and orange or red berries, according to variety, in winter (until the blackbirds notice them)

A yellow climbing rose and a blue small flowered clematis grown together look fabulous.

If you have climbers on the fence in between the shrubs it will make the border look bigger and more interesting, and gives you space to plant shade tolerant plants such as hardy geraniums, bulbs, dicentras, heuchera etc in front of them.

Thanks both.

I should have mentioned I have two dogs so need to put something fairly sturdy in, hence my thoughts on shrubs