The things men do....hehe. If you don't raise a bed then you will certainly need to add to the sand. Compost and such. Shrubs would require a very raised bed and wouldn't be practical. i would do height at the corner, between the windows and maybe toward the front door. At least it will drain well. As far as plant suggestions, if you amend the soil, anything shade tolerant and hardy can go.

James, I have the same situation here in South Jersey. When I bought the property three years ago it was covered with some type of wild brambles and honeysuckle that were both choking everything out. I started by cutting down the undesirable mulberry trees that were blocking all of the sunlight for the good trees. But I did everything very slowly over three years. Handpulled honeysuckle. Then started replacing the brambles with azaleas and red-twig dogwood I bought cheap at an auction. The red-twig are native type and look great in the winter also. As for ground cover, I called Bluestone Perennials and spoke with a person who was very knowlegeable. Can't remember what I bought, but it has runners and is filling out. The only thing you have to watch is putting something in that will eventually choke out everything else. Check out the Bluestone catalog, there is a section that has ground covers, but no pictures, you'll have to look them up elsewhere. But my favorite was the native red-twig dogwood, you will love it. Just remember to check the Ph before you buy any plants. Add peat to the hole when planting the red-twigs and I believe they like it slightly acidic. Good luck. Here is a link that might be useful: Red-Twig Info

Thanks all for the suggestions! I probably should have explained better in the first place. House is up on a naturally forming slope, with the asphalt driveway rising steeply to meet in. After the snow melted, we noticed that what had been shallow-rooted grass off to the side driveway apex was now about an inch lower, bald, rocky, and pocked with ridges from the water runoff. This area extends ~1-2 feet horizontally before dropping down ~4 feet at a ~45 degree angle. Our idea had been to cut a "L" in the side of the slope, reinforce the earthen backstop with a small rock wall, and level the top area with soil, in effect creating a bit of a terrace for the slope to slow down what we worried might erode more in the coming years (which could eat away the earthen support under the asphalt in our paranoid minds). In the soil up top (we would supplement the dry, rocky, clay) we hoped to plant something pretty-- enough to bring color and foliage most of the year and anchor the top soil a bit. As it was to be to the side of the drive, we were hoping for something with a little vertical height, which might act as a natural flag during winter (as we learned the hard way this year, when the hired plowman drove off the driveway and over a small cobblestone ringed flowerbed buried under the snow). We saw heather at a nursery the prior weekend and thought it looked pretty, offered a little height, and might look nice on a hillside here and also in another part of the yard. Thanks again and hope the description was more helpful (sorry--- haven't figured out how to post pics yet)

I'm in central Oklahoma smack in the middle of the Great Plains which is prairie grass country. It can get quite humid here, especially in June and we got some flooding last year--- the LBS did fine. Its sort of up to anything our weather can dish out and that involves extremes in many directions. We are famous for either too wet or too dry. Too cold or too hot. LBS only tends to flop in overly rich garden soil or too much shade. Lean soil is best. You can check around and find the best genotype for your local conditions in the form of bulk seed, I understand most of the US has it listed as a native grass. Your 45 degree angle description sounded like it would have fast run off so seems it would would be dry in summer? The best cultivar type for avoiding flopping is 'Blue Heaven' and its got great color in late summer and fall. It also seems to be more shade tolerant than all the others, surprisingly tolerant in fact. Standing Ovation is another that is supposed to be flop proof. It could get expensive buying cultivar plants if the area is big. the worst for flopping in my experience is 'The Blues' because they form such thick seed heads that they ended up being top heavy. I just replaced a stand of 'The Blues' with 'Blue Heaven'. I've had Little bluestem growing here in my prairie garden quite some time and never seen the middle die out. It grows wild around here just about everywhere and each plant is fairly narrow and tall, no middle die outs, they look more like exclamation marks. Its also long lived with very deep roots. Some types are greener, some sort of gunmetal deep blue and others are powder blue. Heights vary from one area to the next. I grow several types, both local and some cultivars but have never seen any that wasn't a great grass. Currently last years growth along the roadsides is still standing straight and tall with a definite orange color since no one trims those out there. By summer, they will be green (as long as the rain comes) and then gorgeous in fall.