Was there meant to be a picture? To get useful suggestions people need to see the space. Also geographical location is necessary.

You need a picture of the area. I hate gravel. You can't walk on it barefoot and it can get lodged in your sandals. Most front yard sitting areas are small, so pavers aren't that expenive, because the area is very small.

You should use the search to find pictures on Houzz and then save them to an ideabook.

Patios/Pool Deck · More Info

Please don't pull out all of your shrubs. Many of them can be pruned successfully to a nice shape. A mature shrub or shrubs add much needed dimension, accent, screening, and a sense of privacy and coziness in a yard. It's also easier than planting something and waiting for it to grow and fill in. Photos would help us decide on which ones are worth keeping.

For a french drain or dry streambed, I like to border it with low growing groundcover.

@tracefloyd - I agree, I'd like to repurpose whatever i can.

Larger rock that is not rounded interlocks and allows seating for sturdy furniture. A blower can be used on it without disturbing the gravel. Line it with a stone perimeter and landscape plants around it and pots. A path of flagstone or brick or just steppings stones in the lawn.

Yes, keep the two Japanese Maples.

A circular shape is nice and balances the straight lines of the structural elements.

It is recommended not to use landscape fabric, it decays and leaves plastic fibers. Cardboard is very effective as a weed barrier.

I'd ID the evergreens and probably just move them.

For a Michigan native garden to screen a patio, I'd make a deep, layered planting , starting with big bluestem at the farthest reach. It grows 5 to 8 feet, more than enough to screen a seating area. You can get it in blue or smoky colors.

Big Bluestem - Andropogon gerardii | Prairie Nursery

Then, I'd I'd fill in with some shorter plants, sticking to the purpley hues. Purple love grass, for example. Penstemons, which come in green or dark foliage, white, pink and purple flowers. Liatris for some spiky plants. Some coneflowers. This should give you a range of heights, a coordinated palette (you can go dark and moody or put a lot of pinks and whites in for a lighter palette). Pearly everlasting will give you some silver foliage. The bigger the area between the tall big bluestem, the less hemmed in you will feel. Joe Pye Weed is another tall one that will do some good screening. I love the mauve color.

You'll need to remove the grass before planting your native meadow plants. If you're doing a large area, which you'll need to do for screening, you should start with plugs. I like The Pollen Nation in NJ for my native plugs, but Prairie Moon which specializes Midwest natives and has an excellent reputation. Besides, I am looking for Northeastern woodland shade lovers, which is not what you're looking for. Nurseries that do plugs often have a short ordering window when all plants are available, so you'll need good planning.

If you are just starting with a seating area, you'll want to place your plants carefully. One or two well-placed clumps of big bluestem might effectively screen a seating area. You could make a curved garden island in the middle of your lawn, then expand it into a meadow later, when you can divide some of your early plants, rather than buying new.

This has a white Eupatorium (relative of Joe Pye Weed), coneflowers, a grass and what looks like a Baptisia. All should be native to you. Effective meadow plantings have large swaths of similar plants.

Contemporary Landscape · More Info

Some option

You can create a perimeter for the patio with stone or brick. Adding a curved shape would make the are more visually interesting.

Never ever ever would I use pea gravel to walk on or set furniture on. Do you have children? Pets? Pea gravel will migrate EVERYWHERE - the bottom of your washing machine, in the toy box, in your car, on your hardwood floors, in the rain gutters, and last but not least, in the grass. Ask me how I know.

Thank you for your warning! that was what i was thinking too.

Thanks everyone! You've inspired me.

I like your idea of front yard seating area - akin to the front porch. Consider a grass area. It will be defined by the plan of shrubs and plant areas around it, will accommodate different seating types that have bases that won’t sink into grass, and allows rain and snow to disperse. I formerly lived in southeast Michigan and there are wonderful landscape planners who could show you some options.

I'd consider grass in a defined area but I think we are trying to get rid of the grass in the frontyard and go with plants and trees. We have a nice backyard that is grass and we use that grassy area for games, etc. but the front yard grass does nothing.

Pollinator yards with hardscape.

Wonderful!

These floating solar fountains are a great way to add a water feature.

Please clean a birdbath often with a distilled white vinegar solution according to Audubon.

https://www.audubon.org/magazine/why-you-should-keep-your-birdbath-clean?int_query=clean%20birdbath&int_src=site_search