Mulch decays and you will have to replace it over time. That is, unless you live somewhere where grass is hard to grow, so we need a pic. I would not put a dining set on mulch. You'll want a flat surface.

Why would you put gravel around the house? Gravel won't be a problem with the garage.

What does "installing a fence up to the house front" mean?

Hi Sigrid,

Thanks for the prompt feedback!

1. I was a little concerned about putting furnitures on the top of mulch - then found some pictures of dining sets on top of mulch - so thought it might work...I am working with a pretty tight budget. Do you have any recommendation on the budget-friendly way to place the dining set? The ground was quite muddy when iy rains, so that is where the whole mulch idea came in. We wanted to replace some top soil and then cover up with something we can walk on. The grass doea okay here - but we will need to install sprinklers for it to survive. For ~1000 sq ft, we are thinking abput 7 sprinklers.

2. Gravel around house - mostly for aesthetic purpose. I also think I saw somewhere saying not to put mulch around the house because of the moist.

3. Installimg a fence up to the house - sorry for any confuwion. i meant installing fence along the side yard and put a gate to back yard next to the current garage. I am currently outside, so I cannot take a picture now, so I added a rough drawing of the plan. Hopefully it helps explaining the plan a little...the front yard is complete (nicely by the builder).
   

   

Some pictures would help a lot. Where are you?

A traditional yard with a lawn surrounded by a planting bed is a classic way to landscape.

A patio really is needed for furntiture. We use rubber pavers made from recycled tires. It is cheap and easy to lay down because they are flexible and stay put.

We use the fake concrete flagstone for stepping stones for walkways.

I would avoid gravel...use larger river rock like 2" to 4" size...small gravel just grinds into the dirt and mud eventually.

For mulch, we use Shredded Cedar Bark...it has to say those exact words. It is great in rain or dry and stays in place with natural chunks and fibers intermixed. It also works for muddy areas on the lawn as the grass can grow through it.

Get an umbrella for shade and plant some shade trees.

If you have too much water you could consider a drainage ditch or French Drain to direct water away.

Some questions that popped into my mind: Where does the water drain to when it rains? Is the yard properly graded? Are you in a subdivision or neighborhood with other people? If so, how do they handle these issues?

@Steve L Congrats on the new home; that's a big deal! I'm so glad you are thinking about utilizing your outdoor space. So many people don't take advantage of their outdoor space.

Nothing you mentioned is a "bad" idea. I do not like to use gravel. Why? Because I may find my first plan didt work well because of something I missed. Once you put in gravel it's hard to get out, ok, impossible. Second, leaves fall on gravel and become just enough soil for weeds to take root and then I don't have the nice clean area I wanted from my gravel.

I prefer concrete. I prefer stamped concrete. And if I expect to shovel it, I prefer heated concrete. You can do a little at a time as you can afford it, but I found it surprisingly affordable and nice! I surrounded three sides of my home with concrete, 7' at the least width is wide enough for a pair of chairs.

I'm not in Utah and am on the East Coast near DC and Baltimore, so I imagine our costs to be different. Sorry. I hope you get someone from your area to help.

Regarding No. 3 it sounds like you have lots of plans. I suggest you list them all and talk to some reputable contractors. In the process, ask about what to do in what order. I can tell you make plants last, because they will suffer with construction.

Once you get all the building, concrete and fencing done "hard scaping" 😁 then start on landscaping. Come up with a plan, plant trees first, then shrubs, then everything else. Trees take time. Plant trees in places where you will plan to have beds, so you don't have to trim grass near the trunk where your mower can't go without hurting the tree. When you deal with fall leaves, just blow them into the bed to decompose and provide nutrients. I can already hear people say this can build up and smother plants. I think you have a long way to go before that would be a reality. Add N fertilizer to help the leaves break down. Come back if you want help with plans.

Hi,
I am not a landscape pro, but I have developed the landscaping at a few homes I’ve lived in, here in the a Pacific Northwest. As much as you want to get something down, I’d encourage you to take some time to see what other homeowners have done in your area first. Get to know neighbors, chat with them about what has worked for them. Take photos of landscapes and trees that thrive in your area. Then edit for appropriate size for your property. There will be some elements in some gardens you can use at your place. Learn the sun’s movement across your property. Check the grade of your property and make sure water flows away from the house.

In my area, autumn is a great season for planting trees and for getting good prices on trees and perennials. If you must put something down to hold the soil in place, I might consider just seeding it all as lawn, then you can remove sod after you have a well developed plan. But a better plan would be to design (or have a design drawn up that you can implement in phases) that is water friendly, using native plants and permaculture practices.

A blank slate can be as intimidating to a new homeowner asks blank paper to a writer. Create an idea board here on Houzz and start learning from homes where you like what’s going on in the yard. Take advantage of landscape design shows on TV. You’ll get there!

First thing I would focus on would be carefully sited trees for shade. The first spot would be to the W/SW of the area you want shade-house/patio--against the hottest sun of the day. The second is to the E/ SE to keep the area in shade as long as possible in the morning.

Research what trees do well/ are recommended for your area. Trees provide better cooling than shade cloth and will help the environment as well.