Ron, Did you come across anything that works well? I'm still looking. I'm considering a uniform bed of low growing evergreens. Maybe upright dwarf junipers or some of the new boxwood cultivars that form a 2x2 mound.

A bold companion would be Japanese blood grass. Think of that combination in the Fall with the paperbark's red leaves. Both like moist, well-draining, rich, slightly acid soil, too. Blood grass likes a bit of shade and isn't fussy. I am growing it right now on a windy, Z4 hilltop, with only a bit of shade from seeral taller ornamental grasses.

I have never tried this, but it came quickly to mind when I read your post. Might work.