Good initiative, I too enjoy gardening as a fun pasttime.
This is a typical american/western suburban gardenscape. The brown wood chip is called mulch, its for ground cover. It is to avoid weed growth, keep the moisture in during summer and avoid dust in the air during windy weather. Also provides frost protection during cold weather.
People don't use it in Pakistan, neither is it available here. One factor may be cost or lack of awareness. As an alternative, I have used cocopeat as a top layer in pots and around ground plants. It helps maintain moisture during summers and reduce dust in the air. However, cocopeat doesn't help with weeds, it is infact, a great seed starter! I have successfully germinated many seeds in cocopeat alone. Always good results and a lot cheaper than imported potting mix and sphagnum moss. For weeds, the best solution is hand-picking from time time.