Hi,
I have a similar area by my front door. I did hellebore niger, the really cool varigated gingers(asurums), and fall blooming anenomes all have really nice foliage. I might add some begonias or impatiens for long seaon of color. A few lacy ferns might be good contrast. A mainly white hosta, even some of the small hosta might add color. Lady's mantle has a small form with silver edged leaves.
In short go for things that have great foliage even when not in bloom. I also planted some treasured snow drops and other treasure small bulbs here.
Good Luck Jeanie

Tara how about some Malva Zebrina, compact, nice long blooming flowers most of the season and great reseeders.

How about sweet woodruff? It loves shady areas, makes a beautiful ground cover (about 5-6 inches high) and blooms with lovely little white flowers in late May and looks great all spring, summer and fall.

Toad lilies would bloom in the fall, and they're not huge (about 18"-24" tall). They don't mind dry shade. Violets might be another choice around the foot of taller plants.

Laurel

I, too, recommend toad lilies for late season bloom and color. They're not super splashy by any stretch, but they're a lot prettier than their name sounds, and are good for fall bloom. Astilbe also do well in shade and can provide a splash of mid-summer color. Ferns will also do well. Japanese painted fern would add a bit of burgundy color to the mix. Variegated solomon's seal looks nice even when not in bloom. Or how about a dwarf tradescantia (like 'bilberry ice')? Mine are just starting to open now. Miniature hostas would certainly mix in, too. I have some adorable little ones that are maybe 3" across, certainly not going to overwhelm anything! (I also have a variegated one called Pandora's Box that's maybe 2.5" wide and as cute as can be for small places, topping out around 6" high with bloom) Lamium would do if you wanted more of a ground cover. I fill that in where my forget-me-nots grow, so it looks pretty when they're done.

Which toadlilies are you finding reliably hardy? I tried several of them a couple of years ago, and Tojen was the only one that survived.

Other possibilities are various colored ferns. Japanese painted fern, of course, and Ghost and Lady in Red lady ferns have all done well for me.

How about astilbe? Or caladiums (need to be dug up.) Coleus is an annual with colorful foliage.

I got the 'Miyazaki Hybrid' toad lilies from Bluestone a couple years ago, and they've been perfectly hardy for me. They're clumping up slowly and they bloomed nicely last fall - I suspect they'd like a little more moisture than is available under my hemlock trees, but they don't seem to mind Upstate NY winters.

Laurel

Here are a few I found for you!

#1
Stylophorum diphyllum
Common Name: Celandine Poppy
A wonderful early spring bloomer for the shade garden. Showy yellow flowers are held above lobed, blue-green leaves.

Culture
Grows best in rich, moist soil or a woodland. Plants will go dormant in early summer if soil dries out. Will naturalize by self-seeding if growing conditions are favorable.
Use
Naturalize in shaded gardens or woodlands.

Height
16 Inches

Spread
18 Inches

Color
Deep Yellow

USDA Hardiness Zone
4-8
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#2

Common Name: Wild geranium
Zone: 3 to 8
Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Geraniaceae
Missouri Native: Yes
Native Range: Northeastern United States
Height: 1.5 to 2 feet
Spread: 1 to 1.5 feet
Bloom Time: April - May Bloom Data
Bloom Color: Pale pink, deep pink, lilac
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium moisture
Maintenance: Medium

Wake-robin (Purple Trillium, Birthroot)
Trillium erectum
Wake-robin usually has dark reddish-purple flowers, but occasionally they are white. More rarely, the flowers are pinkish or greenish. White-flowered wake-robin can be confused with large-flowered trillium, but wake-robin has a purple ovary (in the middle of the flower), and its petals are narrower and do not overlap at the base.

 Family: Lily (Liliaceae)
 Habitat: rich woods
 Height: 7-16 inches
 Flower size: 2-3 inches wide
 Flower color: dark reddish-purple, occasionally pink, white, or greenish
 Flowering time: April to June
 Origin: native