clover ? or buffallograss,

Your pics look very similar to my back yard!
We have to get more gravel this year too.
Ornamental grasses, bigger rocks(they don't cost much), SHREDDED pine mulch and day lillies.
Water the hill at a flat setting on the nozzle.
Get that ornamental grass and day lillies in fast though.
Man, you can get some bad summer storms and you will have erosion on the sides, you need roots in there tomorrow.
There are grasses that prefer shadier conditions, and even some bamboo that are dwarfs, short, that will do an excellent job for you taming that hill.
Good Luck!
It's alot of work!

Try bugleweed (ajuga), does best in part to full shade and grows fast by shooting runners out. I have both purple brocade ajuga as well as burgundy glow. purple brocade is growing much faster. lowes has 6 packs for $9. both are very pretty, shades or pink purple and green.

The horizontal areas are gravelled, the dirt was there for three years - so not too much errosion at this point. I went to local nursery I got me some vinca minor, creeping phlox, thyme and (?!!) cant remember the name of low growing shrub. I hope to plant them this weekend

and cranberry cotoneaster
what do you think of my selection?

Another thot. You could add some Juniper 'Lime Glow' to that bed in the sunny area. They would look great with the vinca and you'd have the room for them. They don't get very tall, stay horizontal and continue to grow 9-12" a year. Here's a photo of mine before I moved them:

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Hope this helps.

that does look pretty and cheerful! I will have to go back to nursery to see if they have it.