DON'T plant ivy! It will take over, and not in a good way! First, lay down mulch. Shredded leaves are the best if you can get them. How small is small?

@ felicity: yikes ok! is there a fence climbing plant/s that's better? and how thick a layer of mulch?

the backyard is probably around 500 sq ft, in this shape:

Virginia Creeper grows well in the shady, clay-heavy woods around here; I imagine it would grow willingly up a fence as well. Depending on just how deep the shade is, hostas and azaleas seem to be the go-to perennials in shady yards in my neighborhood.

gingersnap - VC is a pretty one, I'm seeing a lot of mixed reviews on its tendencies though! I'd love it if I knew for sure it would destroy the foundations of my/neighbor's houses lol

hostas and azaleas are nice, thanks for those suggestions! I wonder if they would do well in raised beds...

What about some Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor), I think they would do well there, and they look good.

Palmtreedude - huh, hadnt considered palms! Do you know if these would be expensive or require special care?

Sabal minor, tempature wise, would do fine in your area, they are harder to warmer areas of zone 6b and basically fully hardy in zone 7a. They are actually native to zone 8a North Carolina. I am sure you could find a nursery that sells them near you. You would definitely have to plant them in early spring because they need to get established through the summer. I would water them every day for the first two weeks after being planted then every other day throughout the summer. Don't water palms during the winter, let rain do that.

Some of the most amazing plants I've grown have been sewn in WELL-TILLED NC red clay. Getting it well-tilled by hand is labor intensive. Might be worth a machine rental. You can work in some peat to help with drainage. If you amend the soil, you can grow hosta, coral bells, foam flower, Prairie Dock, and vines like clematis and vining hydrangea.

Not sure where you live, but I have clay soil and some shade in my yard and visited the Bog Garden and Arboretum in Greensboro (they're across the street from each other) for ideas on what to plant lots of shade-lovers there!

What's your moisture condition?

thanks guys! i'm about a half hour out from downtown Charlotte, ulicoco

I haven't heard of tilling a clay yard, i'm guessing that substantially softens/loosens it? great ideas for species too, thank you!

what do you mean by "moisture condition"? we get that "sudden super hard rain for an hour> once+ a week" typical of piedmont NC, which violently splashes up the top dusty layer of the clay (looks just great all over the porch and fence lol), stays damp for a day, then dries out completely until the next rain -- probably also has something to do with the backyard being slightly downhill sloping down to drains in two areas

if you're talking humidity, the air's never dry and can get oppressively swampy in the summer

If you want a conifer, Plum Yew (Cephalotaxus) will do well with DEEP shade and will tolerate clay soils, humidity will not be an issue. There are vertical and horizontal growing varieties available..., also very heat tolerate. I have one in very deep shade and one is part day, full sun. The one in deep shade is quite lush compared to the one that seems stunted in direct sun (I am in NJ). They are also nearly deer proof if that is any concern.

A truckload of mulch over the bare clay at the porch and fence should stop the splash stains during the rain. You could till the other parts of clay, but I would just recommend the "Back to Eden" style of any cultivation. Adding to the soil as nature would have, but at a concentrated pace. It's far less work, and has proven effective provided proper drainage. As for what to plant there, that's a little difficult to tell as far as where any trees are, what parts get any sun (azaleas, hydrangeas, astilbe, etc need some sun (direct or indirect) to bloom. A snapshot of the yard from your patio in the morning and another in the late afternoon would be helpful in suggesting what plants would do best.

No trees inside the yard, they begin outside the fence. I'll get those snapshots when I can, thanks!

4:40 pm:

I see.. it looks like the dog dominates the space, so that will take some consideration. I have a dog about that size and he is not gentle on the plantings. Delicate plants like ferns in that space would be trampled and based on the foot traffic, any grass grown wouldn't do well either. I'd definitely suggest mulching the whole area and having a couple select groupings of plantings in the corners and along the house and fenceline. For areas with high foot traffic, you could lay a path of pea gravel or crushed granite and/or perhaps some large format stepping stones set within patches of dwarf mondo grass. You can pretty much design around where your dog's paths are. Liriope will grow nicely at the base of any shrubs there. Camelias, Hydrangeas, Rhododendron, Azalea (in the brighter spots), and Daphne are a few tough, shrubby options that should be fairly dog resistant. Cast Iron plants also make a nice, lush base planting against the house. You could also go for some more architectural plants like Fatsia.

For your scale, my first thought was "shaded courtyard" and a quick image search yielded some pretty inspiring results. Have a browse: https://www.google.com/search?q=shaded+courtyard+garden+design+ideas&espv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiEz_eQwu3SAhUB5SYKHXF5B3cQsAQIIA&biw=1440&bih=834#imgrc=_ 

Fantastic insight and suggestions gdpossehl, thank you so much!

yeah, my boy Theo really likes to tear around but he tends to stick to one route

as far as the mulch goes, what do you suggest exactly? type (if there are types), layer thickness, time of year, getting a professional involved, etc?

Before weeds really take off is probably the best time. Shredded pine bark or wood chips would probably be the best. It should settle and compact over time with additional top-off applications. As the base layer decomposes, it will add nutrients back into the soil beneath. With the quantity you'd need initially you'll probably want someone who can deliver a truckload. If dumping it in your driveway isn't an option, then hiring a pro is probably best. They'll have the right equipment and extra labor to wheel it to the back and spread it around in a day's time.

Hello, Leo, did you try little acers? I have a good feeling for it, when I started to plant my place. Also good to try is robinia, and some lilies. I would use big pots in your case. I found nice one in "Southern Living" this year.

Hi Suzanne, what do you mean by little acers? Thanks for the plant suggestions too!

We haven't done any real yard renovating yet, just cleanup and we got some hanging flower baskets as they were 2 for $10 at Lowes...impatiens and begonias, they seem to be doing well in the shade

Hello Leo, sorry, I used the Latin name: maple. I also have some wild pansies, sun always on morning, maximum till noon, will do great for them. And I have some margarites, but I think, it's not the right place. And a kind of wine, little leaves. maybe it will work on your yard

Everything gdpossehl said! Plus, I'm in your same area and have the same soil! The original homeowner planted English Ivy and we're breaking our backs getting rid of it! Resist the temptation!! This year, we've had TONS of wild, native violets coming up and I've even been pulling them from the gravel driveway and transplanting them into spots where we've eradicated the ivy. They're a wonderful, native groundcover and look beautiful in garden beds too! I'm big into using natives, so my suggestions will show that. Try Maypop (passion flower vine) along the fence. It grows very quickly, has phenomenal flowers and is evergreen. You can cut it all the way back each year to keep it neat, but no need to. Moss will NOT work with a dog. We have a moss yard and it's super super delicate! The deer tear it up super easily and it gets invaded by weeds that have to be hand-removed (except in the deepest shade like under the canopy of a Japanese maple....the moss looks awesome there!). I definitely think you could do some semi-raised (even just mounded for a more natural look) beds around the edges/corners. Then you could have beautiful native bushes (itea, clethra, viburnum, etc.) grouped with ferns and other shade-lovers.

I've found that it's no use to fight the clay! Remember that clay soil has a ton of nutrients! It's just a bit dense for many plants. But not all! There are tons of plants that are clay tolerant. I think your biggest problem is that that soil looks hard-packed. You'll need to loosen it up where you want to plant. I would just dig down a bit and amend with compost and peat. That does the trick for me.

Though this nursery doesn't sell to the public, check their site for an amazing assortment of native plants! www.northcreeknurseries.com . You can then check with local nurseries for ones you want, or check online.

Good luck!

I think wine will do good. I plant one last year in a big pot, and it grows much. There is sun on morning till noon. The wine covered now most of the window there, and it looks great. I also planted in big pots: clematis, a smelling one with little leaves, a honeysuckle (much leaves of green at this time). My margarites are grown very good, I didn't expect.

Mulch is the best idea I believe.

Yesterday I saw a garden, which was very inspiring: some parts are covered with pebbles of different shape and color. It looked very good - and it will cover the clay! This garden was made in three different parts, borders between were made with dry stone walls. So the woman there has a Buddha garden, a rose garden, and a puddle. All was very small ... but very nice!