Same patch taken from different angles, and I'll probably "shield" the fence slightly by putting trellis against it.

Japanese anemones do well in dry shade, once they've got going. I like white flowers in dark corners - they seem to light them up. They don't have dark leaves, but never mind. I think dark leaved plants tend to go green in poor light anyway.

Thanks Beattie - I didn't know that about dark leaved plants. And btw, sorry we didn't manage to come and see you in Cornwall, but maybe one day . . .

I'll pm you..

Sheila, have a look at this place because their specialty is plants for shade ....

http://www.longacreplants.co.uk/

Thanks Louise. :)

Any purple leaves will be a muddy green in shade so it's probably better to stick with green-leaved plants. Fatsia japonica takes dry shade as do sarcococcas (Christmas Box). I've also found that aquilegias and stipa tenuissima will seed into dry shade, there's also helleborus foetidus, our native stinking hellebore

Thanks Andrew - you're right! We actually have Helleborus foetidus, aquilegia and stipa tenuissima in that bed, but am really looking for something over 3 ft tall for the back of the border.

Hi, why not try mahonia aquifolium, or m,japonica, they grow fairly tall, don,t mind shade, are evergreen, and flower in winter, just a thought, derekm

Thanks Derek - I'll Google them. :)

Andrew . . I've just seen the Pileostegia viburnoides on your photos . . . looks as though it could be just the thing for this shady fence?

I like the look of the Mahonias too, Derek - spoilt for choice now!