Fix my dead zone!!!

OK.......i'm sure you noticed my to-do list on the side over there --------->

What you probably don't know is that much of it is inspired by the fact that we just moved! Our new move has a million challenges for us inspired by the fact that it is a very old house.....very far away from town.....very much in need of some TLC.

The move isn't long-term in the sense of welcoming our grandchildren because we would like to buy a house "soon" (what a relative term). Since we are renting we don't want to do to many changes but we do want to be comfortable.

I am coming to you blog buddies for some help! Did you see the first 3 items on my to-do list? I am thinking about tackling them this weekend. Here is the problem: our home is set in the middle of a cotton field. I don't believe grass was ever seeded and nothing is neat and organized the way I like it. I am trying to embrace the wildness and go with it. Here is a picture I made because I haven't taken one yet but I will try......especially for some before and after shots:

The only thing the different areas have in common are weeds! The grassy-type area of the lawn is mostly weeds, the area in front of the house has more weeds and the area by the road has less. The grass/weeds are infringing on the gravel/driveway and even on the concrete. I have a few ideas about the weed problem and hope to make them happen this weekend. Are you ready for the part I need help with?

THE DEAD ZONE

This is in the middle if the yard, we realized why it was just dirt and a few weeds the first time Jeff mowed and cut some plastic. Someone before us had laid plastic down and covered it to keep anything from growing.......

yes i know.......

while I have seen this method used before, none that come to mind explain why it was done here. We can't get rid of all the plastic and beg grass to grow (trust me) so I need some ideas for what to do here! The gravel idea isn't something I look forward to because the gravel from the driveway gets thrown in the grass already and has broken a lawnmower blade. It isn't ideal for a sitting area being that we are in West Texas and there is no shade and it is 1000 degrees outside. HELP!!!!!!

I also need to tackle the flower beds, when we moved in they had BEAUTIFUL blooming rosebushes which I know NOTHING about. There was a bare spot where we could see a plant had been removed and our landlady said she removed a wild plant she didn't like. We have lived there for 2 months and I have done nothing but water them. The beds are overgrown with grass and weeds which we will have to hoe out but I need ideas for bedcover to keep them from growing so quickly. Another problem is the bush she cut out has grown back to about 4 feet by 4 feet by 4 feet and is huge.....i don't know how to contain it. The last problem is my lack of rosebush knowledge. All but 1 of the bushes is still blooming beautifully and seems ok........but one of them has doubled in size in the last 2 months and is no longer blooming and has these hugely long shoots coming off of it that I want to cut but was told it will kill the bush. HELP!!!