The issues with using rock for mulch or to surface an area are many and have been discussed on this and other forum ad nauseum!! In most areas of the country the maintenance level required by this is high......much higher than if one used a dense groundcover or even a more traditional wood type mulch. For an area that looks like it might be used mostly for storage or at the very least, is not a very visible or highly trafficked area, then simplicity will always be the best approach. It is enough work to maintain the visible and functional part of the landscape - don't add to it by making more work for yourself!!

Christopher I‘m afraid I don’t have any plans that show the house in relation to the lot, and unfortunately would be hopeless in estimating the distance of the land between the house and the shore. Best I can do is this picture from a couple weeks ago showing the current (rather muddy) view from the great room. I indicated the water line in blue where they’ll be building a floating dock. Does this, in combination with the floor plan from my initial post, give you a better sense of the area at all? Fwiw I don’t anticipate anyone needing to walk around the entire perimeter of the house; this is just concerning the back yard. Are there any other details that would help you at this point?

What a beautiful property and so much potential! I'm the last person to give landscaping advice (you'd agree if you saw my yard lol, but it's mostly for lack of funds, not necessarily lack of ideas). That being said, as far as the pond, I personally could take it or leave it. However, if I were to keep it, I would like to put a gorgeous stone patio (rounded, curves, not a square or rectangle) in that area from the house to the pond, encompassing the pond to make it part of the patio. Possibly a low wall around the patio, with pots of annuals trailing down, or gardens around the wall or patio. I envision a seating area next to the pond enjoying the water (maybe putting a little water fall or water feature in it) and a water garden. I'd also put a small tree somewhere near the patio to shade it, but then I love the shade and think a sunny patio is nothing but a seat in hell, lol. I know you have that patio on the other side, but to me that looks more like a place to have morning coffee, not entertain or sit in the evening. Not everyone can have two patios, lol, but if you have the space and the funds, it might be nice. And this is where you could put your pergola (instead of or in addition to a small tree) and lights, and sit in the evening next to the pond. As far as the rest, you have so many choices and I think you need to think about what you want out of the yard. A vegetable garden can be created to be visually lovely but honestly it often ends up looking more utilitarian, so perhaps put that farther from the house and focus on perennial beds closer. On the other hand, having your vegetable garden close to the house is very convenient (says the person who has to walk across half an acre to snip some beans for dinner lol) Do you like formal plantings or more cottagey gardens? Do you want to have some kind of historically accurate garden to go with the house? I would incorporate shrubs and evergreens and berried plants for year-round interest (although of course check for toxicity for your dog - sorry, I don't have a dog so I don't know what is dangerous to them). Natives are, IMO, a bit less work. I would prefer some privacy so I might put some shrubs on the fence line, at least near the house, but be careful about light - you don't want to plant anything that will be too tall and might end up blocking the sun unless you are planning a shade garden. Think about watering too. Again, if you have the funds, now is the time to run piping for extra spigots around the yard, or an irrigation system, etc. I also love the idea of a secret little grotto in that back area with the old dairy walls. Something shady and restful and cool, with a place to sit and relax... nice! One thing of course to keep in mind is your view from the bedroom, if that is important to you. You may want to orient that entire side of the yard to look good from there as well as from the ground. If you put a pergola or small tree in the back there it might block some of the view, or it may add to it. Good luck, and please keep us posted as you go along! It's always so much fun to live vicariously through other people's gardens! I can't wait to see what you do with the property! :) Dee P.S. All that being said, I agree with Theresa24 - wait until next year and watch, watch, watch, and think, think, think. Hard to do but it will likely save you either regret or more work down the road!

Assuming you can’t change your door to face forward, you could remove the stone and then add a porch that extends to the right side of the house to the driveway. Widening and curving the walkway up to the porch adds interest and softens the yard- you could try finding pavers or stones that match the gray stones on the outside of the house/the roof to tie the landscape together. You could also try a wider straight path lined with shrubbery like this one or try planting grass around the pavers for a more modern look like this one.