Dirt and Grass

For the element of Earth, I've been working on making a chunk of dirt with Grass growing out of it. As the character "activates" the power of earth, I want the grass to grow from the dirt, and the dirt to shake. As the dirt shakes, I want the grass to be interactive and shake as a secondary motion.
To make this believable, I'll need to texture the dirt correctly and give the grass just the right amount of bounciness.

I've observed different photographs of dirt and realized that it's moisture really depicts it's consistency. Dry dirt looks more dull and crumbly, while moist dirt has more saturated colors and looks like it would hold together better.
For my project, I'd like more saturated colors, so that means moist dirt would work better for the scene.
I've created a texture for the dirt that has the 2D "mountain" texture as it's color attribute, and a 2D "noise" texture as the bump map. The mountain texture has two colors that you can modify, and so I chose a redish brown, and a yellowish-brown that seem to work.

For the grass I've noticed it's age depicts its springiness. Young grass tends to be more thin and bouncy, while older grass grows thick and more sturdy. Also young grass tends to be a lighter green color, while older grass tends to darken. The dirt that grass grows in also alters its appearance. Because my dirt is well saturated (and rich), I want the grass to appear strong and healthy.
I've decided that most country clubs maintain their grass the best, and so I would like my grass to take on the feel of that which grows on a country club golf course.