Penny, your homeowner's association would probably have to weigh in on your getting rid of hoses, but we'd be happy to help you with drought-resistant ground covers if you tell us where you are and how much sun the location gets.
These don't answer my question because nobody seems to know if the hoses are connected to anything (as president of the ass'n I've tried to ascertain irrigation routes) related to watering. I was thinking about using river rock with stepping stones leading to the back pavered porch.
Odd that the hoses are there for no reason. Maybe a some point they were used then disconnected. I like the river rock and stepping stone idea. I like smaller rocks (like pea gravel) and stepping stones too.
The hoses may have been, or still are part of a drip irrigation system. You should probably make some effort to find where they're originating in case they are connected to a water supply. Otherwise, you could have another mess down the road.
Thanks for your response, Doug.