Help me design a border

[Peonyperfection]

I’m planning a border at the back of a north facing garden to hide the fence a little. I like grasses and eucalyptus but I think I may need some shrubs. It’s clay soil. Any suggestions? AI was pretty poor.

No ideas but following to see what others say. I have a few areas similar to this and really struggle to create something that looks good. I have a habit of randomly planting things and it not looking "together" at all.

I've got dogwood, hosta and hellebores. The hosta dies back completely though so in winter it looks quite bare.

Mahonia will grow in shade. But it’s quite a slow grower. I think tall roses would grow but need to be taller than the fence to get some sun.

For starters, can you attach trellis and have a vigorous rambling rose to hide the fence, the work your way forward from there, shrubs at the back and perennials at the front, you’ll need a much deeper border to accommodate the planting for it to look anything, narrow borders are always disappointing as you can’t achieve a ‘layered’ display of planting.

@TidyingThePantryI love Hostas, it’s magical how they appear but I hate the blank space they leave behind.

@YelloDaisyhe not heard of Mahonia so I’ll have a look.
@WateryworldsA climber is a good idea, I’m going to make it as deep as I can, but that means more money!

If it's a north facing garden, that makes it a south-facing border. It looks like AI has used the right type of plants, they just look weird.

Crocus has a useful filter to set your conditions and give ideas. I would probably add some roses as they love clay soil, and maybe ceanothus? Cistus?

This is a really beautiful climbing rose that copes with shade

https://www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/products/wollerton-old-hall

I always think the hard part is having it look good all year - mine definitely has an “off season”.

Dogwood is a great shout - we have one in our back border and it always looks so cheerful in winter. Evergreen ferns? They are a decent size.

We have a choisya which is thriving in clay and smells delicious. Dahlia if you are happy to lift them in winter. Euphorbia self-seed like crazy in our garden, though I actually find them a bit alien looking 🤣

Salvia do very well in ours. Cerinthe also self-seeds and is pretty big. Bulbs for spring and California poppies for summer?