After doing a great deal of research, we used pea gravel in our last play area. Here's why . . . Mulch decomposses and molds and requires refilling/refreshing 1-2x/yr. Sand is frequented as a litterbox by animals and will end up being tracked inside by those playing in it. Rubber Mulches - We weren't convinced on the safety aspect of our children playing in what is basically recycled tires (although we liked the eco-friendly aspect). In the end we chose pea gravel because it is durable, alot of fun for the kids to play in (much like sand in the ability to scoop and pour without the mess), and very easy to "clean" it by just blowing lightweight leaves out with our yard blower. Although gravel doesn't seem like it would be a "soft" material it actually has an amazing amount of give and movement in the small pea-sized form. 9" of compressed (material listed below) will adequately provide safety for equipment with critical heights up to: wood mulch /10' double shredded bark/7' uniform wood chips/6' fine sand/5' coarse sand/4' fine(pea) gravel/6' medium gravel/5' We put about a foot deep of pea gravel in our space. A HUGE truckload cost us around $150 delivered.

Container gardening, if the hour is late and you are fit to be tied for what to do, might be the best, cheapest, and most certainly quickest answer. DH and I moved into this house three years ago, and there really is no place suitable for a garden, except right up next to the house on the south and west sides, where the prior owners HAD rock, then barkmulched on top of it to cover the rock. Now, it's an ugly combination of rocks and bark, and since we both work full time and have three teenagers, time constraints didn't even allow for the "dig up and make it a real garden" option; besides, there are a few nice low shrubs that we didn't want to tear out. So, I did a little research and found the Earth Box. Did a little more research, and didn't begin to want to deal with their customer service, so continued to research. Found Garden Patch Grow Boxes, spoke with reps at customer service and felt pretty good about the company. Bought thirteen of them, and then found an Earth Box at a garage sale--great, this way I could compare. For the record, there is no comparison: the elasticized cover on the Earth Box (through which a gardener is supposed to make "X" hatches and plant starts), coupled with the butt-ugly black pipe sticking out, made the Grow Box a KO winner, especially when calculated in the GB came with the first year's supply of fertilizer. I have since discovered that their plastic covers will break down during the second year, so will be replacing all covers with some 4-mil plastic that I picked up in the Walmart hardware department, and using my own fertilizer, ala EB's original instructions, to make a "hybrid" growing box. Heat? Dry? Not a problem--the GB has a 4 1/2 gallon reservoir, and even on very hot days, if I water in the a.m. and check back in the p.m., they're never dry (and must NEVER be allowed to go dry). Weeds are not a problem, either; the bonus (that I didn't realize would be a bonus) is that we have terrible bindweed in our yard (okay, so that's not the bonus--wait for it!), and I didn't end up planting my garden into the ground right where the bindweed seems to be the worst. I never thought I would swear by container gardening, but I have grown carrots (in the same box with the tomatoes--who needs a separate stinking box!?!), peppers, radishes, eggplant, tomatoes, herbs, lettuce, cucumbers, squash, watermelon, cantelope, and flowers in my boxes. HUGE BONUS for container gardening: when we get our first hard freeze, I can take those suckers in the garage, and we'll have fresh tomatoes from our own garden well into January. They may not be as flavorful as those sun-warmed and -ripened that we miss from last August, but they're better than those pink mushy things loosely marketed as "tomatoes" at the local grocer, and not just cuz they're free! Good luck with your garden, and let us know what you end up doing!!!

I have thought about eventually having to remove the groundcover. I think it will be a couple years until I'm ready to landscape again. I think I may sow perennial wildflowers next spring where the space is visible to the street -- and deal with mud over this winter until it's time to sow next spring. Then sow annual ryegrass in the real large back space for this winter, leaving some room for some annuals and vegetables next spring in the areas that won't get run over by contractors. Thanks for the suggestions. I didn't answer sooner because I thought I'd get a notice when someone had responded, which I didn't. Do you have recommendations for places to purchase large quantities of ryegrass and wildflower seed, either in the DC area or online?

Thanks for info. If you just want to keep the rain off the immediate door area, consider a transparent arched awning like this: https://www.wayfair.com/outdoor/pdp/advaning-pa-series-convex-door-awning-azan1025.html If that isn't big enough, consider a glass arched greenhouse-style roof (not the Louvre entrance pyramid) or full greenhouse/sunroom that would have an entrance flush with the garage and house walls that could cover the whole area. Water control will need a lot of thought and careful construction as well as maintenance. You'd still need extra large gutters above it. Google "arched glass roof over patio" for images.