North facing garden advice

[faffadoodledo]

Not for me but my son. He's bought an house with an urban north facing garden. It's also small and currently has astro turf. He's planning to rip that up and pave but with planting between the cracks. Raised border beds but as I say, directly north facing. Any top tips from you wise gardeners for plants he can start with? We have an easy going SW facing garden and I must admit I'm stumped for crowd pleasers that will shine for a beginner gardener!

Heucheras, wisteria, hostas, astible, some hydrangeas, ferns, all will tolerate shade.

Also brunnera (Jack Frost is the popular one) , lots of spring bulbs, some hardy geraniums, foxgloves. Erythronium. Solomons seal. Tiarella. Bergenia will do well but it's not a looker.
I have a choisia, it's evergreen, white blossom in late spring, thriving in a shady spot.
Garrya elliptica James Roof but only if there is room for it.
Japanese acers if it's sheltered.

I’ve got fatsia spiderweb, it’s unusual and variegated so stand out. Acers do well, as does hakenocole grass (sp). I plant white foxgloves and white tulips every year. I’ve got a floral carpet rose in a pot that is doing ok or see https://eu.davidaustinroses.com/collections/ideal-for-north-walls-and-shady-areas?_=pf&pf_t_ideal_for=filter_ideal_for%3A%20Pots%20%26%20Containers

also im training a climbing hydrangea up the wall..

A great back drop shrub, cherry laurel. Grows in any sun direction. You can also buy them at 6ft tall so instant impact, lovely white flowers too and giant glossy leaves.

Thank you all. @NotbloodyGivingupYet I should have said, yes it's very sheltered.
Great start/ i can pass these onto my son

Winter flowering jasmine for some winter cheer.

The bit furthest away from the house will be the sunniest. At the two equinoxes, the sun will rise in the east and set in the west. During summer it will change until around the solstice it will rise in NE and set in NW, so garden will be getting direct sun early morning and late evening, as well as the far end hopefully getting midday sun over the house.

It’s less easy to think what will want to grow in cracks in the slabs in the shadier bits. Violets look surprisingly good in that situation. I would browse round the alpine section and go for plants without obvious sun protection , ie no furry leaves, silver, needle-like leaves.

Great advice @MereDintofPandiculation . I love the violets idea

This sounds very similar to my garden.

At the house end (the shadiest) - hostas, ferns, tree fern, mint in pots, euphorbia robbaie, bugle (this is good between paving & bees love it), allium, foxgloves, tiarella, primroses (good between paving), snowdrops, hellebore, acer, japanese anemone, spider web fatsia, cyclamen.

At the sunnier top end - dahlias, star jasmine, Rose, clematis, banana, necklace vine, ivy, geranium, pittosporum.

I would be lying if I said I don’t wish I had more direct sun but I have grown very fond of the shade I’ve got here - there are some gorgeous combinations you can come up with.

Ps on violets - they do take over ….

They do. Everywhere. So do wild strawberries. I generally leave them to grow wherever they like, and pull out any that have got above themselves.
Welsh poppies, OP! They grow in sun or shade, yellow or sometimes orange, and self seed everywhere. If they like your garden, they are there forever.
Depends how neat a garden you want.