What in an immature soil makes it difficult for plants to grow?

What shade loving plants can I grow in a completely shaded yard where no grass can grow?

• I just recently started renting a house that has a large back yard with lots of tall trees that completely shades the yard. It's so shady back there that there's no grass (not to mention tons of leaves on the ground). While I have completely given up hope for having grass in the yard, it would be really nice to landscape the space. What should I plant that would do well. One other thing that makes it challenging to grow plants is the soil it pretty sandy. Help!

• Answer:

  By the sounds of it you have a woodland garden. Do your searches based on plants that will grow in your zone for a woodland garden. However, if you have large pine trees basically nothing will grow under them where the needles drop and there should already be a bald area under that tree. Otherwise remove the plantings that you don't want, till the soil well, add peat moss and sheep or veg manure and till it into the ground soil.This will give the new plants a thriving bed to spread their roots in and they will grow and spread at a much more rapid rate. Ground covers should be your first investment. They will spread beautifully and give you that lush look that everyone thrives for. For a lush look that year, plant approximately 3 to 4 seedlings per square foot. If the seedlings are large, cover 2/3 of a square foot with seedling. For a zone 5 for a good foliage mix use: japanese spurge, sweet woodruff, creeping jenny, carpet bugle, variegated ivy and periwinkle. They're listed according to their growth rate, the first being the quickest. For ornamental accents use carex or sedge grasses, coral bells, bleeding hearts and astilbe. Hostas make great low hedging when planted in rows and large varieties like Big Daddy make stunning giant sized accents. For colour use annuals like impatiens. I like to use one colour and use it throughout, this way I can change it every year for a different affect. White can look stunning too. And for mixed leaf colour there's nothing like coleus which comes in a zillion varieties it seems. Again I choose 1 or two varieties and plant them throughout. They're great along the back of the garden and in areas where you want a pop of colour. Don't mulch your new plantings they need the soil space to grow. Most woodland gardens don't need mulch because the leaves from the trees do that job for you. If there is an area that needs mulch, use the larger piece pine bark nuggets to give your garden a finished, professional look. Also a caution for planting cedars, mosquitos love them and for that reason, I don't recommend them. Otherwise have fun creating and good luck with it.