Nice flowers for shaded garden

Hello, I'm not a gardener but want to get into it, can anyone recommend and nice colourful flowers/plants/shrubs for shaded area of garden? Something that a novice gardener could manage not to kill
I've no idea what sort of soil we have, we got asked this at the garden centre who were not very helpful but I'd like my garden to be a garden again not just somewhere where the dogs go to pee
Thank you
Tracy

Lots of info on the web about planting a shady garden or corner.

http://www.contemporarygardendesign....r-plant-group/

ah thank you