If you have areas of your yard that are consistently dry and shady, you probably have a hard time making that area look nice.
It will take some work to establish plants but once you do, there are some that will be worth the effort. Nothing can become established without initial care. That usually means watering throughout the first season and sometimes into a second season if the plant was installed later on in the previous year.
Take a look at some of the flowering shrubs. My favorite is the Kerria or Japanese Rose. It grows like forsythia with a mounding shape but the flowers look like small yellow roses. The Hop Tree’s flowers are not so noticeable except for the scent. Most hops have a smell that seems to make people relax. In winter, the leaves may be gone but the dried hops remain and look especially nice covered in snow. Other shrubs include the Yew and the Bottlebrush Buckeye.
For low-lying plants and ground covers, St John’s Wort and Bishop’s Hat cover the ground and produce pretty yellow flowers. Brunnera has several varieties with solid green or variegated foliage. It produces small blue flowers that look like Forget-Me-Nots. Hellebores is also dry-shade tolerant. This is an unusual looking plant with flowers ranging from green to all colors.
For spring blooms, try Lily of the Valley. The flowers are very fragrant and will cheer you up while waiting for warmer weather.
There are several options, but you will have to work to get them established. It will definitely be worth it.