Hi! I also agree! Thank you for your help. I checked out pix on the web.... and I believe you both re 100% right! I just need to figure out if it will survive the winter here.... one site said that it would... it would just die back to the ground and then come back next year.... and another said that it would just up and die period. Will continue to research.... have a while before it will get chilly enough to worry about it... and I will keep it in the pot until I know for sure! Thanks again!

What makes it ugly is how the gravel looks blemished --- patches of this and that, grass, weeds, dead stuff, leaves, different levels. But paving/decking might be tricky if there is solid rock just below. One would really need to know its extent in order to know what is possible. This does not really look like an area for lawn grass. If you'd clean up the gravel so it is all one thing it would be better looking. If what grass we see in picture is all there is, it would probably be better to get rid of it and plant groundcover instead. In landscaping, there is no such thing as no maintenance. Everything (except solid concrete everywhere) needs some kind of maintenance. Plants need care especially while they are establishing.

That was a guess but with it being an exterior wood, I have used solid stains that were actually thicker than some exterior paints!

For the stone, I'd start with the Eldorado Stone or Coronado Stone websites and you should find the exact product or something close.