"tenplay" wrote in message
...
In my backyard, I have an area roughly 20X30

20X30 what? feet, yards, metres, cubits? It will make a difference to your
costs by anything up to a factor of 10.

that is covered by some
blackberry vines, maple tree shoots,

Apply gyphosate when growing strongly (spring or summer), dig out when dead,
repeat dose if required. Just digging will not get all the blackberry
roots, they will keep coming up for ages.

and gravel mixed in with the dirt.

Investigate the top 6-12 inches of soil, its what you find there determines
what you need to do. What sort of dirt? How much gravel? What sort of
gravel? How deep is the top layer? What is underneath?

What is best way to reclaim this area so that I can use it for a
garden or lawn? I have no idea how it got to be this way before we
moved onto the property. Thanks for any advice.

Depending on the nature of the soil and your budget improving it or
replacing it may be the better option.

David