We're building a new house and with the current time frames it looks like it should be finished in the dead of winter. Eventually we want to put a stone patio off the back but I'm not sure where this will fall on the priority list so it may get postponed for a year or more. In the meanwhile I'm wondering what to do with that space. It will probably be difficult to get grass to grow there - especially in the winter. :D We have 2 dogs so I'd really rather not having them strolling through the mud. Mulching the area would be a relatively cheap option but I'm not sure what impact this would have later. Would it be better to put down some sort of bluestone/gravel that could later be used as the base for the patio? If so what material would work best? Thanks!