Substitute for boring brown bark?

Hi Nancy. What a nice koi pond. What came to mind first was laying brick pavers. Then I saw how big the area is, and that could be very costly. So my suggestion is to make your own pavers using a form and quick crete. That way the water wouldn't be an issue. Good luck Nancy. Stay healthy and well.

Have you reviewed any of the other mulch colors to see if they see your decor aesthetic mulch can be red black or brown. I don’t think pea gravel would work in your situation if it is moist and flood prone as you are describing.

We have pebbles in our path around the pond and pool because of the water. It drains well. We have stepping stones, but the pebbles are round and soft so if you do step on them, they're comfortable. The come in colors, but we've chosen a soft white/ brown mix. You can peek here if you like: https://www.exquisitelyunremarkable.com/2017/07/how-to-create-cottage-style-garden.html

Red mulch, river rock pebbles, pea gravel, lava rock, white marble rock

https://www.menards.com/main/c-5784.htm

I love the contrast between gray pavers and grass growing around the perimeter of the pavers. Rubber mulch also offers several shades to choose from. And for you I think a nice dark rubber mulch would add a lot of contrast against your stone work.

You could plant a weeping willow in that area - they love to suck up water! Three of them saved the back 1/3 of my property that was underwater all spring prior to planting them. They do drop thin branches in the fall that you need to clean up (I found it way easier than cleaning leaves) and make sure not to plant it too close to the house or any water lines. If you do that you can plant ground cover.

Another option would be to put in a French drain. You can also contact the town engineer to see if possibly they might put in some drainage for you.

Back to the current situation - I think a bunch of colorful pots planted with flowers would definitely brighten the area up. Power washing the concrete will brighten that, replace the mulch with fresh black mulch that really pops when it's new.

All kinds of trees and plants that tolerate wet areas

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/water-plants/wgen/water-tolerant-plants.htm

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/plants-soak-up-wet-spots-lawn-34446.html

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/yard-plants-can-sit-water-26100.html

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/flood-tolerant-native-trees-for-soggy-soil-stsetivw-vs~18603743

Plant a rain garden!

https://www.familyhandyman.com/garden/how-to-build-a-rain-garden-in-your-yard/

https://www.birdsandblooms.com/gardening/flower-gardening/plant-rain-garden/

Happy Planting!!! 😎 🌼 🌺 🌻

Hi! I think of it as more of a neutral background, but, colorful groundcover might work to brighten things up. There are so many available mulch available these days, I would suggest exploring what is available in your area. Curbside pickups and even delivery make it possible to explore products online and then purchase. A local landscaper might be able to give you a good price, too. We actually have black mulch, and I find our plants look great on it. Good luck and stay safe!

If you decide to use dyed mulch - red, black, or brown - remember EVERYTHING is ground up and put in that dye bath, including the toxic chemicals in the pressure treated wood and pallets the companies use. This is not a child or pet friendly product, no matter what you are told.

Lovely back yard space. Quick inexpensive fixes would be to paint some of the stones or statues a color or copper. Throw some colored beads from the $ store on to the mulch. I would live with the brown mulch, you just need some color accents.

I'd suggest a dark rubber mulch for your area would be a great contrast between the concrete areas and the stones around the pond. Rubber mulch doesn't disinegrate as wood mulch does. Any colored mulch I've used fades with 2-3 years. You could add some colorul accents to brighten up the area with large pots of flowers.

You can go with pea gravel or red rubber mulch.

Can you try black mulch? The contrast might be beautiful with the stones and brick.

I just bought rubber mulch and put it down because I was tired of the water washing regular mulch away and it doesn't mildew or attract insects it looks like wood and is easy to put down- lasts forever too

I’ve had fun with buying crushed rock (in the concrete masonry section) not pea gravel ( in lawn and garden), at 1/3 the price.

Then I put down a large scrap of plastic drop cloth, dilute paint 1:2 with water and put in my hand pump pressurized garden sprayer.

I spray a light coat of whatever fun color I want, rake them around a bit and then let them dry.

If you don’t like the color, then do a different second coat.