Updating changed bed

Weather here is wet and garden soggy. I looked out of my window this morning and realized that after out 16 months of building work the garden needs to change to new situation. So would like some ideas please.

first bed is very noticable from the house, but mainly in winter. It is North East facing and damp rich lime soil. It is also subjected to cold winter winds, so the shrubs at the back I would like to keep as years of experience with this site tell me that they survive the wind and look OK.

Some evergreen colour and shrubs of all year interest would be nice.

Below picture of what I was left with this time last year!

 

Hi waco,
some shrubs that tollerate lime comditions,
BERBEREIS DARWINII
BUDDLEJA DAVIDII
CEANOTHUS IMPRESSUS
CHOISYA TERNATA
CISTUS
DEUTZIA
MALUS
NERIUM OLEANDER
PHILADELPHUS
PHLOMIS FRUTICOSA
ROSA RUGOSA
SYRINGA
VIBURNUM TINUS
some are evergreen, some not, about 50/50

 

Thanks rossco - ceanothus is one I have not yet thought of, I like the blue flowers and it would be nice if it could cope with shade.

The viburnums I have at the back of the bed and they love the conditions.

 

Oh my - that could do with some colour and different colours - both flower and foliage - and maybe a small delicate tree or two - e.g. the white barked birch. In addition to those suggested by Rosco - consider the colooured stems of the dogwood.

If your going to use shrubs and trees for this part of the garden - consider underplanting with spring flowering bulbs, snowdrops, bluebells (english of course) winter aconite, scilla, star of bethlehem

 

Thanks Fran, yes I love the dogwoods, there is one in the bed at the back. I had not thought about small tree we do have two silver birch in the garden that are about 20 - 30 ft but you got me thinking now.

Aconites grow like weeds here, but I love them.

 

They're not on Rossco's list, but I have known skimmias and sarcococca to do well in those conditions - and sarcococca smells good too! Since they like growing under trees, and I've certainly had success in Herts with them, I'd go for Lily of the Valley too, and Solomon's seal. An interesting challenge, Waco!

 

Nope my skimia did not like me - definately turned its legs up in the air and dropped dead. I have one saracocca which survives but has not grown since I bought it about 10 years ago. Lilly of the valley loves me but the slugs eat all my solomons seal.

I also have a mahonia which you would have thought would do well, but it barely survives.

I just fancy a go with something beyond the run of the mill shrubs.