Any ideas for tall plants / shrubs I can plant alongside fatsia japonica in border?

[stuckinaswamp]

I'm recreating our tiny (10x6m) north-facing garden from scratch. I've dug a large bed which is 5.5m long and between 1 and 2.5m wide at different points. I want lots of lush, green verdant planting. We've got a fatsia japonica for starters, and I'm planning underplanting with ferns, hostas and Japanese forest grass.

I need one or two other tall plants / shrubs / plants to go with the fatsia, but am a bit stumped beyond that. Any ideas? I've considered planting gunnera, a euphorbia mellifera, possibly a small acer, but not sure any of these are quite right. We've also got a left-over choisya ternata sundance from the old garden, but it's a bit mangled and I'm not sure it works. Possibly some clumping bamboo? All ideas gratefully received!

I would avoid Gunnera (too chunky for your border) but the other plants you mention sound good.
I have a Choisya in a north border and it looks great as the leaves really reflect the light - Sundance goes a nice lime colour in shade.
I also think bamboo would work well here and an Acer too.

You could also try a cut leaf Elder
www.jparkers.co.uk/plant-0002097/sambucus-racemosa-sutherland-gold/
These go lime rather than yellow in the shade.
Have you looked at Epimdeiums for shade? Easier than hostas (don't get eaten by slugs) and prettier IMO. Euphorbia amygdaloides is excellent ground cover even in full shade and evergreen too.

Look at the plantsforshade site, its very good.

www.plantsforshade.co.uk/

Thanks Pannacotta. Will check out the plants you mention. Good to know I might be thinking vaguely along the right lines (I'm a complete garden novice), but will avoid the Gunnera!

One other thing to think about with a small garden is to chose plants which you like the look of, since the chances are you will see them from your house (not such an issue with a big/long garden).
Some foliage plants can be a bit dull as they don't change through the year so try and squeeze in flowers/berries or changing leaf colour if you can, if you like to have colour other than just green.