Since you get some morning sun you could try clementis for some color, there are some varities that require very little sun. If it begins to fail you could always move it. Spirea is also hardy and is a pretty light green color and flowers, mine gets morning sun and the rest shade. I bought it reduced for quick sale a few years ago and it perked right up after planting. It stays low and spread well, but not invasive.
I came on the board this morning looking for a plant I saw at the fairgrounds... A few weeks ago it looked like a creeping fern type plant growing is shade and last night I walked by and it has bloomed the cutest yellow daisy like flowers!! I am also planting a shade bistro patio in my front yard. So I'll be checking back... If I find the name of my plant I'll let you know.
Melissa

Thanks for the ideas Melissa, yes, please do let us know what you plant for your little bistro patio garden. :o)

Here is a picture of the plans for our bistro patio. There is a large "L" shaped deck that goes across our whole back of our house, a lower deck that wraps around to the side and then a small boardwark that will bring you to the bistro area done in "purple" on the picture. To the sides of the boardwalk I can plant some shrubs but the bistro area might be still too small for even spireas, not sure yet. Anyway, here is the picture:

Barb

Tirella and Mitella are two native plants that should do well. If the patio is open to the sky and I assume it is you may have more ight than you suspect. Some of the Campanulas might do well. Experiment!

Heucheras, hardy begonia (B. grandis) (I think it is hardy to zone 6), sedges, epimediums, lamiums (groundcover; they come in variegated leaf forms), astilbes (come in dwarf forms), some of the aquilegias (I grow 'Nora Barlow' in shade), ferns.

Susan

If you are going to use the area especially in certain seasons, you might also save room for some pockets of annuals for those seasons since there are many which bloom profusely in shade over a long period of time and stay small. Some daylillies will do okay with only a few hrs of sun. Bleeding heart. Lamiums have pretty foliage and bloom for a couple of weeks. You will want to see what blooms at what time for your zone in order to actually have blooms when you want them. Also agree with thinking UP and using trellis on wall if you can; vine forum will have some ideas for shady vines. If you have enough patio room you might try a small tree in a large container, too, such as a Japanese maple. You could move it or plant it elsewhere later if you wish.

The hellibores don't get too tall and bloom at odd times when nothing else does; they also have attractive evergreen foliage which might help to fill out the border on off seasons.

There are perennial clumping geraniums that are very low and spreading, and have attractive flowers.

Ajugas are a very low growing ground cover that come in several colorations. The lamiums mentioned by others are also low growing ground covers that have variegated leaves; some look almost white, which is useful in a darker spot, especially with guests who might otherwise not see where the border is in the evening (I like to plant them on both sides of pathways).

For that narrow strip Coral Bells would be ideal (Heuchera). Shade tolerant, neat mounding habit, etc. So many nice varieties available now too.

As someone else suggested, you probably want to have a few plants for vertical interest, and not limit yourself to a completely low-growing border. A shade-loving vine on a trellis is a good idea, as would be some of the taller and skinnier plants such as Aconitum (note: poisonous) and some Campanulas. For low/compact, Arum is a very cool-looking plant with interesting leaves and bright red-orange berry thingies.

Well, I took all your ideas and went shopping and here's what I got planted around my small bistro patio. I have a lot of mixed heights in the borders. I have 3 grasses (zebra, sea oat and variegated reed grass), 4 hostas (ghost spirit, inniswood, great expectionations and abba dabba do), purple bell flower, a purple daylily called "Bela Lugosi", a couple of orange butterfly weed, an orange day lily called "Rocket City", a couple of orange Geum, a fuschia pink perennial called "Fire Weed", a coral pink "Coral Bells", and a hot rose pink daylily called "Siloam Olin Frazier".

Thanks so much for all your help.

Barb