Low Maintenance Yard

[Adriel]

I am a caretaker for the home I live in with my Golden Retriever. The home was purchased so I would have a place to live in safety and with a yard for the dog while attending University and possibly give me a leg up in the future. It is about an 8,000 square foot lot with a 1,248 square foot 3 bedroom 2 full bath home.

Heard that the trust is considering downsizing to a smaller lot and 2 bedroom as with my health, considering this current home might be too big. However, two bedrooms really don't exist out here, especially with a garage that I really need; willing to consider converting a carport. Anyway, got me thinking maybe there is another solution.

The biggest issue is the bermuda grass lawn. There was irrigation, but it was a haphazard layout (not in a grid) with Rain Birds that broke off do to three dogs playing in the back yard. Never understood having 4" high sprinklers in a lawn. I have a gravel R.V. parking, but even the grass and weeds grow in that. I have a friend who has gravel and has no grass growing in it. He doesn't use weed killer. How come he has no weeds or grass in his gravel, but I do?

Is there a way to have low maintenance, meaning no unwanted plants, gravel?

How does one keep the gravel and the grass separate?

Further, I have considered planting shrubs and maybe vines to reduce the lawn size. If the shrubs were dense enough, they keep out the weeds, correct?

I have put in a lot of plants in front, and where the bed of aloe is, very few weeds. Plus, where the globe mallows are growing.

Figure the cost of landscaping be less than moving, right? Last time the bill was $750, I.I.R.C.. This time really should hire an organizer and do a high level purge so not moving extraneous stuff. So, let us say a budget of $1,000 for landscaping.

Any other ideas?

Thank y'all in advance for the help!