Potted Plants That Will Do Well in the Shade?

Try a plant named coleus. They are my favorite. They come in some really neat colors and their leaves are very showy. It's their foliage that is the show not the flowers. Even though they are a outdoor plant they do well even in indoors near a window. But they would do really good on a patio.

Begonias, impatiens, coleus if you are talking colorful annuals.

Hostas & bleeding hearts if they are big pots, and you are doing perenials.

Your best bet is to go to your local garden shop, though, and get some neat stuff that is appropriate for your zone.

Ferns
Impatiens (which has flowers)

Coleus, lots of colorful foliage, insignificant flowers. Just don't water them too much!

:)

The first thing that comes to mind in impatients. They come in white, red, purple, pink, magenta, and coral.

I would take a walk through the garden center.