I wouldn't put much, if any grass in that size of an area. Try some 18 x 18 pavers to make a sitting area and path from the door and/or path to the back. Staining the fence is a great idea.

I use brown grocery bags as weed barrier. They work better than newspaper or the black fabric people pay for. Of course, it takes some planning to save them up. I overlap them to cover, then mulch.

As far as propagating, I do it all the time putting the plants in containers so I can "baby" them until they are viable for the ground. It's usually a couple of weeks for me and then when I dig out the hole, I first put in some top soil or potting mix (depending on what I got cheap) so the roots have a good, loose basis to take hold. Water well at the time of placement and then depending on your area, rain, and soil, probably every other day for a week or 2, then every 4 days, etc.

Make sure you have the proper equipment, go slow, and work safely.

dl