Help me pick some plants for new borders

[maerd]

I’ve got two deep borders that need filling with plants. They are north facing but not overlooked, so get a decent amount of sun, but aren’t baked in it all day. Clay soil.

I like the cottage garden theme, with purples, yellows, greens, pinks and whites. Not a huge fan of reds or oranges.

They will have a small box border around them with some tall Irish yews. Gravel path going through the middle with a gravel seating area. I have already planted some lavender next to the paths and lots of daffodils.

Because it’s quite a big space, ideally I need some shrubs to fill it out, so could I have some ideas of shrubs that would suit this space? I would also like some ornamental grasses in here too, if you can recommend some. Thank you!

Perennials - Foxgloves, aquilegias,
Ferns are lovely in north-facing borders and can grow quite big

Shrubs - amelanchier, sambucus nigra, camellia (needs acid soil), chaenomeles, roses, acers (if sheltered from cold winds), some hardy fuchsias, hydrangeas, cornus, viburnum.

Grasses - miscanthus, Anemanthele lessoniana.

I would go onto Crocus and browse around and see what you like.

I would have recommended exactly the same as @MrsAird. In addition, around your seating area, lots of thymes, camomile and creeping ground cover plants . Ones where you can run your bare feet over them.

Also for a cottage garden look on a budget
Johnson’s Blue Geranium
White Japanese anemone
Aqueligia
Circium
Cosmos.
Any seeds that you like the look of, cornflowers etc will give you a display this year
Crocus are very good but pricy. For the best budget plants Wilko are amazing. They have lots of low height bulbs which will come up year after year. You can get your seeds from there too.

I also recommend Planting lots of herbs, Jekka’s herbs or the Victorian Herb Garden are good suppliers. For mid height some small flowering Cherries. There are ones that flower from early in the season to those that flower in Autum.

A rambling thornless rose like Banksaei Lutea or Banksaei White will give an amazing scent around you seating area, it is very easy to prune and train, but it will not flower until the second year after planting.

Nigella (love in the mist) is very easy and cheap to have : chuck a few seeds around and they'll be back every year. So pretty, in flower and as seed pods.

Yellow Welsh poppy is excellent, and self seeds easily. I have one next to my chives (purple) and they're a lovely combination. Plus I have extras to give away.

Aliums are very reliable, I love them. They thrive on neglect! Lots of varieties.