Hellobee Boards

I guess they have a lot of the same pros and cons. I had pea gravel in my old back yard, and it gets stuck in the tread of shoes easily, so will be tracked into your house all the time. But it's also really fun to play with and rake, kind of like a life size zen garden.

Both will need yearly refills, I'd imagine. My backyard always needed more because somehow it would start to get "low".

We did rocks in our front bed but we did the bigger rocks. Its held up nicely.

pea gravel + dogs = pea gravel EVERYWHERE. In all the places you didnt want the pea gravel.

I made this mistake and wish I hadnt done it every time I look into my backyard.

@littlejoy: I'd really encourage checking in with some local places, especially ones that focus on native plants. (The native part is important because those plants tend to have fewer problems in terms of pests and diseases.) The extension service is also a fantastic resource and you can look their stuff up online. We found some really great non-grass options and in just one growing season we've seen a huge increase in the birds and butterflies that visit our yard. It's fun, attractive, and low maintenance--once it's in, of course.

One other thought: If the area is level, maybe you could do a temporary deck that you could take with you if you wanted to? Like this: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/look-temporary-deck-on-the-sid-89233

That's awesome of your landlord to give you that flexibility!