We live in Michigan colder climate. We have a side entry garage and a juniper tree at the end of drive way and that’s where my dog (Shih Tzu) does potty. We picked that spot because in winter we don't have to walk the dog in the lawn with couple of inches of snow piled up.
The main thing I want to address is to keep my dog dry as he is very small and hairy (fur!) . His tummy is only 6 - 8 inches from ground. I am planning to put some big square steps tones around the juniper tree so that we can easily shovel the snow and also put some plants on the edges of the stepping stones. I want this place very functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Please help with me with some landscape ideas.