Inside This One Kings Lane Editor's Inspiring Backyard Makeover

I knew I needed some sort of ground cover over the dirt and decided on pea gravel, which is available at all the big-box home-improvement stores. I like pea gravel in particular because the stones are small and easy to walk on. Each bag lists how much square footage it covers, which makes it easy to make sure you buy the right amount. To keep the gravel out of the garden beds around the perimeter, I sunk two-by-fours that I painted the same color as the fence. This had the added benefit of creating a nicely defined seating area in the center of the yard.