My East York small, grass front yard is north facing and mostly shaded by a 20 yr old silver maple. (picture taken at 3 p.m. in July) I want to plant salt resistant plants near side walk and native plants everywhere else. I have no clue what to look for, how to do this, or what time of year to start. Do I take out grass in the fall or wait until early spring? My soil is sandy. Do I need to amend the soil? I’m willing to do the work, just need some beginner advice so I’m not wasting time or money. With much thanks!
You are in luck! Many native plants are salt tolerant, among them, according to a reliable native plant nursery:
Big Bluestem, Andropogon gerardii
Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta
Blue Flag Iris, Iris versicolor
Blue Vervain, Verbena hastata
Butterfly Milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa
Canada Anemone, Anemone canadensis
Canada Wild Rye, Elymus canadensis
Foxglove Beardtongue, Penstemon digitalis
Hoary Vervain, Verbena stricta
Little Bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium
New England Aster, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Pale-leaved Sunflower, Helianthus strumosus
Prairie Cord Grass, Spartina pectinate
Round-headed Bushclover, Lespedeza capitata
Showy Tick Trefoil, Desmodium canadense
Side Oats Grama, Bouteloua curtipendula
Sky Blue Aster, Symphyotrichum oolentangiensis
Sneezeweed, Helenium autumnale
Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata
Switch Grass, Panicum virgatum
Tall Meadow Rue, Thalictrum pubescens
Turtlehead, Chelone glabra
Wild Bergamot, Monarda fistulosa
Wild Chive, Allium schoenoprasum var. sibiricum
Wild Strawberry, Fragaria virginiana
Woodland Sunflower, Helianthus divaricatus
This gives you a lot of leeway in terms of planning your garden.
You may like to refer to the many resources we have about gardening with native plants.
As for your soil condition, sandy soil will drain well, which is a good thing, given the prediction that we can expect more and more massive rainstorms. However, that also means that nutrients are washed away. It is always a good idea to add compost to your garden, especially when making a new one.
Here is a detailed response we gave another gardener with much the same situation, replacing a lawn on sandy soil with perennials. I think you will find it very useful!
You can create your garden in the fall or the spring.
Best of luck creating beauty and habitat in your front yard.