Question
I have spent numerous dollars on trying to get a lawn.  I hired a company to push back and lower the grades on the sides of my driveway and grow grass, but it failed.  We have tried everything, from covers to mattes to straw.  I have sandy soil and want a nice looking lawn without hiring someone back and spending $5k again.  Do you have any suggestions.  I will try anything.  Also, I can't seem to get flowers to grow.  Back yard is shade and front is sunny.  Any suggestions.  I would like lots of flowers and color.  

Answer
Hi Carol;
Sure, just till in some good soil to mix with that sandy soil.
Some good loam, and some bark mulch.
Bark mulch is good for loosening tight clay soil, but it decomposes, and becomes good soil, so adding it to sand will work the same way.
Add sone bark mulch, about 1 inch on top of what you have, get some good soil moved it. Buying it by the truckload is a lot cheaper than buying it by the bag in the nursery.
You don't need top soil, just any soil will work, even some clay soil.
When I first pannted a lawn, we lived in west Texas, and all that would grow in that sand was cactus and beargrass.
We tilled in 6 inches of loam and it had some clay soil in it. It was really poor soil by itself, but it tightened up that sand so that it would hole water long enough to get the grass to grow.
You can rent a tiller by the hour or by the day, or you can buy one, if you think you will be growing a garden every year.
It starts a garden off better to till it first.
Go to a feed store and get a few bags of alfalfa meal. Add about half a bag per 1000 sq.ft of lawn, and till it in with the bark mulch and soil you buy.
Put about 1 inch of bark mulch ( cedar repels insects better and composts in 2 years.)
Add about 4 inches of dirt you buy, and the alfalfa meal, and till to about 8 inches. That should give you 8 inches of soil that will get youe grass and shrubs started off well, and keep it going.
an organic program will continue to enrich the soil and emend it further down, so every year, your soil will get better.
Chemicals CAUSe problems, organics solves them.
Go to this site and look up flowers for shade.
There are so many lovely flowers that will grow in partial to full shade. Ferms grow well for shade too, and look gorgeous and cool.
This is the website for the National Gardening Association.

 http://www.garden.org/home

Look up shade loving plants, shade loving flowers, and just explore this site.
There is a zone map, if you are not sure which zone you live in, and each plant and flower tells you which zones it does well in.
Write me anytime if you would like more information on organics.
Charlotte