How was the soil drainage? They can usually take damp but maybe they were too wet? I would say try it again. I have mine in a 12" square container. I dug it from my mother's yard about 6 years ago and mulch it in winter with pine needles:

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I face NE but since I am up so high, I get full unobstructed sun from sunrise to about 10 - 11 am in summer (hardly any in winter though).

You could try fern:

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and any number of other woodlands like jack in the pulpits. Also impatiens, coleus (for color), fuchsia:

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caladiums:

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asiatic lilies:

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bleeding hearts, many of the mints, vinca vine, begonias (both tuberous and wax), and lily of the valley:

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For some shade shrubs, I have a Rainbow leucothoe that is a full shade plant:

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The above is evergreen and mine got some winter burn on the leaves but has recovered nicely. I didn't really protect it except with a couple coats of Wilt Pruf and it made it through the 4° F low we had this past winter and got snowed on a little too, although it is back from the rail to get more shade (I'll probably protect it a bit better next winter).

You could also try an aucuba and for vines, the akebia.

I have found just by posts here and my own experience, once you tune in to shade plants, you often find it hard to go back to other plants (and in my case, it sometimes becomes hard to find shadey enough spots for them too... LOL).

Wow - I can only dream my plants could look so lovely. I think it was my wintering (or lack there of) skills. I covered some (the bleeding heart and two hostas) with burlap and actually stuck others in an old cooler out on the porch but we had days that were like -10 farenheight. We have no room to store them indoors. Alas, nothing grew back.
The pictures are lovely. Thanks for the inspiration and great ideas.

We haven't gone below 0° F since 1994 so far, although last winter, we hit single digits once (a 4° F on my balcony, the coldest since 1997). I still think that if you pick the right things, they should be okay. As I have found, alot of it has to do with whether your soil ends up cold AND wet all winter. That combination will do them in more than any cold. I have lost a number of plants over the years during even mild winters because the soil never dried enough on warmer days before it got cold again, so they essentially rotted. I am starting to find that the ones that seem to do best are those that are almost pot-bound, believe it or not.

I've successfully grown hostas everywhere I've lived, and I've discovered a secret. If I put them close to the wall where they don't get the same moisture as other plants, and mulch with cedar bark chips about 2" to 3" deep over the winter, and water if they dry out (or even DON'T water if they dry out!), they come through like champs. I also recommend using a foam pot.

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This is the 5th summer for this one, in a foam pot, protected from winter and spring moisture.

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This is in a clay pot, unprotected, unmulched, also 5th year.

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Same conditions as small blue hosta, but in a foam pot. These two blue ones haven't had any fertilization for the past few years. I did fertilize them this spring.

And also Astilbes arendsii and Lamium shell pink is great.
My hosta didn't do well this winter (too much water, not enough protection). But I know how to deal with Asiatic lilies : put a saucer, upside down on the top of the pot all Winter long. They're great and I'm waiting for a lotta flowers.
Agnes

Hey Aggie!!! How are you doing?? Great to hear from you!

I like the idea of putting the saucer over the lily pot. Never really thought of that simple protection. I usually put pine needles in mine but I like your idea too - especially in spring when it rains so much here.