How narrow is the strip? I would add Chasmanthium latifolium, Polygonatum and Rodgersia to the above list of options. If you have the room Rodgersia does not mind heavy soil.

Thank you both for your suggestions!! I think I will definitely try hostas and I will look up the rest of the plants to see what would work well. The strip is 2.5 feet wide and 35 feet long so I won't be able to plant anything that grows too wide.

I have considered raising the bed but it's right against the house so I wasn't sure if that would be a problem.

Thanks again!!

I am growing about 2 dozen hostas in the same zone and conditions.If you would want hostas which can come in amazing colors add more organic matter to the soil and some mulch will really help.

A strip that narrow and that long is likely to look extremely skimpy and unattractive. In addition, plantings next to a house should be at least 2 feet from the house in the case of small perennials and 4-5 feet for shrubs. Is there some reason you can't widen the bed?

While widening the bed would be optimal, there's no reason you can't still get a beautiful garden from what you have. A few of the plants suggested prior to knowing the depth of the bed will not work for your location due to being too large. This bed should probably be mostly perennials I'd think as there is not a lot of room for shrubs. Hostas, heuchera, calladium, coleus are all good foliage plants and hostas can attract humming birds. I would leave room for annuals in the spring i.e the aforementioned coleus, begonia, torenia, etc

I'm in zone 5a Ontario. I've recently downsized to a townhouse with a small and narrow front yard. It's hardpack clay, Southfacing// I had also brought over a number of plants from my former home so without a chance yet to desing a new garden, I had to prepare a holding bed... first thiing I had to do was to wet the yard, remove the sod and start digging in compost. I also filled holes with the inverted sod so as it dies, it converts to compost as well. So far so good. Plants that will do well in the shade here.. I'm talking not too deep shade.

Hostas

Japanese painted ferns

Astilbes

Trollius

sweet wooddruff

coral bells

lambs ears (i prefer the giant non-flowering type)

ferns of many kinds

Hakonechloa (Japanse golden grass)

Phlox

Lunaria

Echinaceas can also peak through some bits of sunlight.

Also because I like to add height with a post or a trellis (and usually it gets more sunlight up there), I add clematis, roses or use climbing hydrangeas.

Also as I've learned through the years of improving hardpack clay yards -- Use a pitchfork to help break up soil. add a bit of top dressing to encourage earthworms to come. Earthworms will help improve the soil quality when it builds tunnels.

Thank you, I will likely try some sweet woodruff that's a great idea. Or maybe some hostas. Thank you all for the suggestions.

Laceyvail I can't widen the bed because I live in a townhouse end unit and the side yard is mostly just a path.

Macrorrhizum geraniums like Bevan's or Ingerwerson's are evergreen, and do well in dry shade. They are the ground cover type, and will spead to form a patch, but are not aggressive. The smaller Cambrigiense types like St. Ola, Karmina, or Cambridge will also do well. Again, these have a ground cover habit.