Pavers or gravel or river rock, oyster shell in front of house?

I would put down a weed barrier and then lay whatever is the cheapest to make it look nice. Sand will let whatever you put down sink after awhile so you might have to periodically re set whatever you lay down. True with other soil types also.

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I have the same issue in my front yard. It is mainly weeds and dirt with a little grass. I opted for rocks. It looks good but I had to put the last half of the yard on hold because after almost $800 it still isn't done. Rock gets pretty pricey if you are doing large areas.

How about extending the terra cotta pavers out, with a border of mulch and plants, with rock on the outside? Excuse my photo drawing skills but it's just to get the general idea.

I would agree with the pavers idea. It's a very good, "easy" and nice way to set up curb appeal for your home's entrance. Also, it's a "cleaner" look and safer to walk on, roll a walker or wheelchair over......

We "leveled" the dirt and "tamped" it down to create as "smooth" a work surface as possible, then put down a weed barrier, then a layer of "construction"-type sand, then interlocking pavers, then more "construction"-type sand around our pool.

My Mom is disabled so we are very concerned about keeping our patio "level"......... Every few months we pour more "construction"-type sand over the pavers (& it helps to keep them "in place")........

As I see your entrance, I see flat stones with moss as a nice contrast between the stones instead of sand/cement. If you like river rock, remove the red mulch and use your river rock there.

I'd use pavers to make a walkway to the entrance, but I'd curve the walk, Everything is so linear and square. I'd also think about curving the gardens you already have. Then I'd use week killer on the yard. Weed barrier materials seem to disintegrate after a few years and make a mess.

If you buy a dump truck load of gravel or what ever you like, it's a lot cheaper than buying it in bags. You might want to check out pea gravel. It looks good and is not too costly.

Definitely do not use weed barrier as it does not work for slender leaved plants, like grasses. Also, once dirt accumulates on the top of the weed barrier, you'll get all kinds of weeds. Kind of pointless.

You can get inexpensive 12" square pavers from Home Depot (they have them on sale from time to time for less than a dollar a paver). I agree with Sal85902 on the pea gravel and there are a couple of options. Also, suggest you buy in bulk rather than bags. You'd be surprised how much pea gravel you'll need. In either case, read up on how to install the pavers/pea gravel as prepping is important.

I live in Florida and when I was a kid the county used to love using oyster shells to cover dirt roads, etc. DON'T do it; oyster shells are sharp and can cut you.

the key, folks, with the weed barrier is to put it down then put a layer of mulch or gravel on top; depending upon where you live, and what is cheapest, I would actually go with the oyster shells; they will add organic matter to the soil, they will look good, lend themselves well to meandering or curved pathways, look natural and will lend a visual appeal that other suggestions lack, in my observation. I would seek to soften the linear look of everything and try to blend your home and front yard into the softness of the grey weathered look you have going on; so if it was me, I would choose the oyster shells

I did salt and pepper rock and love it. For weed barrier I put used dog food bags, chicken feed bags, or cat food bags, then heavy plastic on top of bags, then gravel or rock of your choice. Lasts for years, if weeds come up, easy to pull or use weed killer.

From experience, if you do some kind of shell or rock, your lawn mower will throw them around the yard unless you're really careful. Use pavers.

I would go with the pavers and plant flowers alone side of it. Maybe even small bushes.

I would do pavers if you can afford it. Personal opinion