My tree ate my sprinklers

Yes, this gorgeous tree, that I planted, ate the sprinklers, that we installed.

I have no one to blame.

But once we realized that the sprinklers were shot, and the driveway was cracking, we knew it was a matter of time before it ate our house.

Now there was a time when that would not have been a bad thing, but now, I love my house.

So I gave the tree one more season to display it's stunning fall color, and then, bye-bye. So now the tree is gone and I'm left with a huge dirt area. I'd like to plant the whole area without any grass (I'm so DONE with grass. Fake grass, here I come!) So now I'm taking suggestions.

I need a small, beautiful tree that won't eat my house. I'm even thinking some kind of fruit tree. Also, I'm going to intermix fruits and vegetables in my garden - make it a real English country working garden. But this is all new to me.

So what should I plant? Suggestions for easy to grow, but not take-over-and-annoy-everyone-I-know-with-bags-of-zucchini, kinds of things to plant?