My backyard is north facing. The lawn near foundation is constantly damp and grass does not grow well there.

I’m thinking about 3 solutions:

1. lay a strip of gravels alone with hand-railing. Strip will be 4’ wide.
2. to make the space more useful, create a deck same height as my porch, existing stairs can be moved
3. create raised patio made of paver stone

Other notes: I live in North Carolina where there are a lot of mosquitoes. So not sure how useful this additional non screened outdoor area will be. The current porch door opens outward so it’s a little annoying to open while going upstairs.