u/Blacklark57

I've got this area in my backyard that's sandwiched between grass, gravel, and my chicken coop that's currently filled with a reddish mulch. I replaced the grass that was there originally because it never grew particularly well under the tree, but frankly the mulch drives me crazy and I hate it. It gets mixed into the gravel and the lawn any time my dog runs over it or my chickens are out for some free roaming. Does anyone have an alternative to the space? I'd be open to planting something underneath for better soil retention, but quite frankly I'm not sure it'll do well with the giant tree looming over it. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on that point.