I am still getting accustomed to Charlotte. I am very much a flatlander. My back yard is separated into two sections by fence. The back section is steep, so the dogs happily use it. I never walk there because of an injured ankle. The forward area is angled but mostly flat.

I covered the grass of the more forward area, putting in flower beds around the fencing. I defined the center with a Mimosa tree (I know- but I like them!) over a bench. The style I am going with is cottage garden/creative. The flowerbeds are mulched with pine needles. The center area is mulched with large pine nuggets simply because I thought the contrast would be visually nice and they would be comfortable for walking.

There is an 18X10 patio as you leave the house and another patio of the same size in the center of this yard-section, linked casually by 4's of patio blocks surrounded by pine nuggets. A firepit is on the middle patio. Now for the problem.

The dogs and rain have caused the pine bark mulch to shift downward over and again. I placed rocks around the lower flowerbed to keep the pine bark out of it during heavy rains, but I can see it is an ongoing battle.

I don't want rock in the center. I prefer a natural look. The Patio blocks are 12-inch square red blocks. What can I do to keep the pine nuggets in place? If they keep shifting so drastically, it is only a matter of time before I have a weed problem. The yard is only angled slightly, but it has been a mess having to rake nuggets back in place.

Should I cover the nuggets with pine bark? The flowerbeds are healthily defined with strong flowering and vegetable plants by now.

Do you have other suggestions? Thanks-