Well, I have a new plan for the front garden. I'm still going to transform it into a rambling cottage-style mess, but I've shortened the timeline based on what I'm actually able to do this year.
This year I'll kill the remaining grass & weeds, & probably mulch. I'll take out the plants that didn't survive, compost them, & then plan & budget to plant next Spring (possibly some this Fall). I'll be able to budget for a soaker hose & timer system so I don't have to worry so much about watering, which was the issue this time around, because depression.
I don't know who first planted it in the neighborhood but it's out of control. I didn't even know it could grow up here but I guess so.
Just downloaded the US Dept. of Agriculture paper on how to deal with Tree of Heaven, so got some good tips.
@Impious_Jade A good number of Tree of Heaven plants per block is 0. An excellent ratio of native trees to tree of heaven is infinity.
@TrueBloodNet Absolutely. I'm hoping that eventually the neighborhood Trees of Heaven fear my anti-invasive tree wrath.
I also have a temporary little border fence I'll put around the front beds just to make sure it looks tidy. Then I'll leave it as-is, just keeping weeds controlled for the rest of the season.
This year I'll focus more on the back, removing some shrubs I don't want anymore, prepping the back border, assembling the veggie beds, that sort of thing. There's also a stand of bamboo I need to control & a Tree of Heaven that's GOT to go.