Dry pond side plant ideas

I put in a pond last year with the intention of planting up the outside edges this year, but I'm having trouble deciding what plants to use.

Here's the pond, it's a preformed liner about 120cm x 80cm -



It's heavy clay soil here. I'm going to add compost, or grit, or both to the soil depending on what plants I plant and what conditions they need.

The problem I have is - I want some evergreens for any wildlife that wants to use the pond to duck in and out of, but the conditions around the pond are very variable during the year due to the shadow from the fences changing with the sun height.

What evergreen will put up with no sun at all from about the end of October to mid-March, then building from half a day of sun to baking full sun in July-August? How forgiving are grasses?

I'd like things that keep fairly small, like around 30cm tall and wide, so I can have a border of a variety of plants around the pond.

Any ideas gang?

 

Blue fescue grass and yellow Ophiopogon would make a nice combination.

Both grow about a foot tall.