You might try a large container planted with a mix of caladiums and ferns and/or hostas? Little ssurrounding pots of impatiens or coleus might be pretty as well.

You could fill the container with a colorful array of shade coleus (not sun coleus). You can buy coleus as plants or seeds. All you will need to do is pinch off flowering stems at the top to keep your plants growing.

Begonias, and look for color leaf houseplants.

I did a caladium, Elephant Ear, and houseplant that escapes my mind now on my porch one year and I had people knocking on my door asking what was in the planter.

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This is a group of begonias
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beautiful pots.

I have a 3rd story apartment patio facing north with a maple tree growing in front of it. The patio also has a roof over it.Spreader yews and a blue princess holly were all that successfully over wintered and grew very well. Here are some suggestions if you want to try roses (I've been researching shade tolerant ones myself) :

"The Fairy" Rose - pink

"Climbing Iceberg" Rose - white

"New Dawn" Rose - white to light pink

Also musk roses are supposed to be fairly shade tolerant. Otherwise, I've read "Annabelle" hydrangea's do well in shade. Astilbe are great shade perennials too :)

I think knockout rose would do ok there. The bank across the street from me has some up against a north wall under an eave. They've been blooming for about 6 wks. They don't get any direct sun that I can detect.