I suggest connecting with a local garden designer to view your site and assist you in person. Clicking on FIND PROFESSIONALS at the top of this page might lead to somebody you end up liking.

Your plan is a little hard to see. It would be helpful if you had a darker one with some labels so we clearly know what is planting, what is path and what is rock mulch.

In regards to your questions, I'll answer best I can:

• What rock do you recommend using for our yard? I was looking at Decomposed Granit for walkways and more large gravel for other areas? But we are in a very wet/ rainy region, so would it be best to go with courser gravel everywhere?

For main walkways it is best to use something fine and angular that can compact down and remain sturdy if you need to move a wheelbarrow, bike, stroller etc. along it. It should be compacted and stable and sloped slightly 2% away from buildings. If it is a secondary path, you can use a peagravel, small angular rock that moves a little. You will need a good edger , a bit higher then the path height if you use a looser material like peagravel or it will move to other areas. Stay away from large rock mulch on pathways or you risk rolling an ankle. Go to a local aggregate supplier and get some samples.

• We will be using ground cover due to wanting to have rock laid down — how rock do we want to cover over the top of the ground cover? 1-2"?

Do you mean a planted groundcover with a rock mulch around it? Then yes typically you will add 1-2" depth of rock, so you dont add too much weight over the roots. However the depth will depend on the type of mulch you use. If you choose a 3"- 6" diameter river rockblend, the depth can't be shallower then the diameter of the rock itself.

• What are the best steps for planting plants in a hardscape yard? Do you plant before you lay down the ground cover (plastic) and then put the gravel/ rock over the ground cover? Or do you leave your planting sections without ground cover, and simply put rock on top of the soil around the plants?

This partially depends on how far apart and how many plants there are. I tend to group plants so they can share soil and nutrients, in which case: 1. dig out subgrade ( the existing soil) in the areas you want to plant. The depth will depend on the size of the plants typical would be 12-18" for perennial and shrubs. 2. Add good topsoil. 3. Lay weed barrier down 4. lay out plants in areas where the topsoil is underneath, 5. Cut an x in the landscape fabric large enough to allow the plant root ball. 6. add fertilizer if needed. 7. spread rock mulch over landscape fabric ( careful not to crush your new plants) If you have very few, spread out plants. skip steps, 1 &2 start at 3. At step 5 you will carefully cut your x and then remove some subgrade, add some topsoil then plant your plant. you need to be careful not to get soil on the weed barrier or weeds will easily root on it. Then continue with steps 6 and 7.

• We are looking to also put down pavers — do we lay the pavers on top of the gravel? Or are we supposed to set the pavers first, then fill the yard with the gravel.

Pavers should be placed on a compacted base so they don't move. Dig out your subgrade 6"-7". compact native soil. bring in 6" of compacted base ( typically a 3/4" angular rock with fines) compact. add 1" of bedding sand or 1/4 angular fine rock like shale set the pavers ( you may need a paver edge restraint to be nailed down) then you can fill the depth of the paver with whatever decorative rock mulch you choose. or fill the cracks with soil and add a xeriscape rock plant that will tolerate the shallow soil depth and bit of foot traffic.

Thank you so much @Chris — this is so incredibly helpful! I have attached a more finalized version of our landscaping plan here. Basically, anything that is square or rectangular is a paver, and the rest is decomposed granite. I do not have literal pathways marked, as the plant locations sort of dictate that in a way.

If you have any other helpful tips or recommendations for building a yard like this, please don't hesitate to throw them my way!

Thanks @Christopher CNC — Maybe some type of compromise for the landscape fabric/ plastic. I definitely want to make sure that my plants are healthy, and I am more than happy to amend the soil as needed.

Would it be worth doing the landscape fabric underneath the walking path areas of the yard (where the rock will be) and just not do any fabric close to the plants so that they can breathe etc..? I see the landscape fabric and plastic used a lot in gardens I have admired, but I also know nothing about this stuff, thus the post, lol!

There are some wonderfully talented landscape designers and resources in Pdx. Check out Darcy Daniels’ website eGardenGo for plant inspiration, talk to folks at Portland Nursery for referrals for soft and hardscape installation and plant choices, visit the City gardens and talk to the groundskeepers. You need good drainage and a stable base for the DG paths so they don’t shift under foot.

Rock and flagstone are wonderful for walkways and patios in the PNW, but don't rock the landscape areas as our dry summers will not benefit any plants, including xeric or Mediterranean ones and will turn the soil into a hot desert that cooks worms and other soil microorganisms that plants need to thrive, instead look into a bark mulch that comes out of a "free wood chips" truck (not barkdust) and make it 5" thick, pretty soon your weeding will be very minimal and the plants will thrive, as mentioned above don't even think about plastic or fabric weed barriers, they will come back to be a nemesis.