IMHO, you would be just fine with sand as your base.
Also, you could do away with the flourish and just use bio balls
if you really wanted something.
I've found the best booster for my plants are plenty of fish and good lighting.
what are the dimensions of your tank?
If it's not too huge, i can't see why two lights the length of the tank wouldn't be enough. I've seen mention about day glow/ aqua glow lights on this forum, maybe if you search lights you will find some good info.