You will always have some mulch but you can fill in with annuals and flowering perennials for interest. What zone and how much sun do you get? Which way does the front of the house face?

house faces East. South Texas sun.

ideas:

Mulch can be extremely beneficial for your planting beds. But if you'd like to reduce the amount you use, you could use ground covers. They would cover the space and eliminate the need to do much mulching. You can also use gravel or decorative stones (like Mexican Beach Pebbles). Hope this helps!

Thanks for your help insight