My back yard is all shade too. My nearby nursery has all the shade plants together which helped my selecting easy. Stick with only perennials! The first year I put up several trellis in different heights and planted vines & all tall plants, no plan, just what I was attracted too! (Climbing Hydrangea!) The next year I bought medium size plants the same way, what ever caught my eye! (Spiderwort!) Now I have Hostas, ferns & Lilly of the Valley in the front... What makes it special (and mine) is the little lantern that peeps out, the bird feeder, the stacked zen rocks, the ceramic bird, the bird bath...and the glass chandelier...not a cookie cutter garden! Take your time, choose what you love & it'll be fantastic!

If it is all shade, it would make a great place to sit outside. It looks like you need plants to soften the look of the brick wall. Native plants that grow in the deep woods would be a natural choice. I noticed that Katie Miodonski already mentioned ferns and hostas (not native), but I think that Lily-of-the-Valley is highly poisionous. It has been awhile since I lived in that climate zone, but if you have pets or small children, it could be a problem. Check with your local nursery.

What climate zone? Do you look out at this area from the kitchen?

Why not clean up the area to the left of the stairs (left from looking out the door ), tile/patio it to match the look of the stairs, and put a small bistro sized table set or a comfy chair.

I'd add three or more sections of lattice against the brick wall from raised beds/planters (2 feet high) and grow something that climbes. What depends on climate, taste, and how much time you want to spend on upkeep. If the raised beds are big enough, then more than one type of plant can be used. A weeping one might be nice. Alternatively, if your climate allows, tall grasses/ferns could be used in the raised beds. But I think something with height is needed against the wall.

I'd lay gravel in curvy beds against the wall in between the raised beds. Possibly lay the gravel to give the effect of a river instead. Kind of depends on how big that space is, it's hard to tell from the photos. Put a fountain, a stone lantern, or something decorative in one of the indents between the raised sections. Take a look at photos of Japanese courtyard gardens for some good ideas

I'd probably also relay the path to the steps to match any patio area and/or the steps at some point in time.

thanks all.for your thoughts and plant ideas...have too many ideas for this area but will take it all on board