Small shade plants to grow on slop between rocks?

My DH is in the process of building a very small birdbath pond/waterfall (about 3 feet x 6 feet) and asked me to plant something on the slop between rocks. Are there any type of miniature hostas and ferns or other plants. I'm open to any suggestions that fit the space limitations.The area is full shade, but bright not dense.

We use Creeping Thyme between the rocks around out pond. Its like a ground cover that gets small pink flowers. Very nice palnt.

Zinnia, here are some ideas for your spot:
Maidenhair ferns are nice, just check hardiness.
Woodruff is a nice small groundcover that will take some shade.
Astilbes: several varieties are relatively small (12-15" in bloom) and are always nice in the shade.
Trilliums are a wonderful addition to a shady "woodland" setting.
Polemonium (Jacob's ladder) is a nice "ferny" looking plant that doesn't get too terribly large.

You asked about ferns, and yes there are some smaller ferns, in fact I have some but I can't tell you the name of them (sorry!) as they were left by the previous owners.

Some hostas are smaller than others, but I'm no expert so maybe Calalily or somebody who is familiar with the different varieties can advise you. Or find some online catalogs and look for smaller varieties. You can also plan on frequent dividing (every 1-2 years) to keep them smaller.

I don't know if creeping thyme will take that much shade - when I started mine this spring, I had planned to put it between stepping stones in my shade garden, but I chickened out, and planted it as edging for my herb garden (full sun) and doing great.

As you choose the type and number of plants for this area, you might want to keep in mind (in addition to the size of the area) a couple things:

1. How close up you'll normally be. If you can't easily access this area, or sit in/near it, go for some slightly larger scale plants, as small plants will get "lost". If you can create a seating area, then smaller plants can be tiny treasures up close.

2. Consider repetition, even in such a small space. Choose a few plants, and plant them in groups of three, repeating them throughout the space. I'd recommend this over planting one each of several plants, which can create a disjointed overall effect.

lamium blooms nicely in the spring and some of the varieties have a beautiful silvery overlay to the small green leaves. They are evergreen although look somewhat rough in the winter

Hi Zinnia, I have an area that sounds like yours and I've put mainly small hosta's in with some dwarf grasses and its turned out better than imagined. Here's a few of what I have planted:Ginko Craig Hosta, Lime Krinkles Hosta, Venusta Hosta, Carex Oshimenis (Evergold) which is a variegated Japanese Sedge, Black Mondo Grass (Beautiful), Golden Variegated Hakonechloa, which is a superb grass in the shade. I hope I've helped and if you have any questions, I'd be glad to try and answer them. Have fun! Oh yeah, don't forget about little ferns like Ebony Spleenwort, or one of my favorites, 5 fingered maidenhair fern.