Thinking about changing my yard from grass to bark chips and gravel.

I think you will have a lot more work than you believe. No matter what you use as a weed prevention barrier, it will not keep all weeds down. Weed barriers will also deteriorate after a few years and have to be removed. The bark chips will deteriorate after a couple years and have to be replenished. And your yard will be a lot hotter than with grass.

Hi - Consider what is called ”no float” mulch at a depth of four inches. Not a fan of pine bark near the house as it’s an attractant for termites. You’ll be happier in the long run with something separating the materials, so that they stay where you designed them to be, such as laying a row of 4-10” sized rocks. I have a large yard and am visual. Moving stone after it’s laid, is unlikely. I first experimented with bed lines using both bales of inexpensive hay and pine straw. Each was able to give me idea for how contrasting materials worked, and what was pleasing to our eye. In the end we went with synthetic turf, dark brown mulch in the beds, borders of TN boulder in varying sizes. The gravel went in the driveway. Its small and finds its way into the bottoms of our shoes, which scrapes our trex and floors inside. (That stone will be replaced soon). Have fun!

Agree completely with above recommendation.

I suggest a substantial paver patio or concrete patio if you want something you don’t have to care for.

We have to replace replenish our bark mulch in our beds every other year. It can be a backbreaking job as well..

We had a 200 foot pea gravel driveway that was a nightmare to maintain.

Pea gravel often stuck in your shoes and brought in your house which could be a danger to hardwood floors or the tile scratching.

Weeds and vegetation constantly popped up In pea gravel.

Our options were to use round up vegetation killer or the weed dragon.

Both worked but needed continued reapplication which seemed like 7-10 days.

We ended up putting in a concrete driveway to solve this issue and I’ve never been happier!

Weeds and grass can always grow up thru the sand, and gravel. The best you can do, is to kill the grass, totally with a spray, Best wishes, J.

Thank you

So, Patrick, after all these comments - what have you decided to do?

Everyone is right about gravel being high maintenance. It truly is.

But here’s a thought. Use plants. As a pro, I did multi acre properties without a single blade of grass. You Just need enough other plants to cover the ground. Then, the only re-mulching you do is the paths. In Florida, it takes about one year for the plants to grow together enough to do what the mulch was there for (keep down the weeds, keep the soil cool and damp). It might be longer in your area

Thank you