Need some help for my back yard. This past winter/spring, I had to spend a considerable time away from home working a job, and didn't get to do the proper lawn maintenance (pre-emergent, fertilizer, overseeding, etc.) and now my back yard has been almost completely overrun in one season by creeping charlie, some giant unidentifiable weed, and what looks like little tiny mimosa trees! I always had some problem with weeds, but I can't believe how much it has been overrun in just ONE season. What can I do that won't require completely stripping the yard bare and start over?

I'd keep the maple, daylilies, the Sedum and the daffodils behind the Sedum in your last pic. There's another little Sedum behind the hose. Directly in front of the big Sedum is either a Rudbeckia or Echinacea, some would save that one and since there is only one in all your pics you might want to save that one, I wouldn't though. I noticed the dog strangling vine in one picture but there is also vinca growing under everything in that picture as well, you'll probably have to dig that out because it doesn't respond very well to Roundup. The dog strangling vine doesn't either. I think if I was just getting started gardening here, I'd leave this spot for last and just weed whack it for now, lol. Unless it's in a prominent spot. It looks like the gardener before you took most of the good stuff, luckily the beds look fertile, just give them a thorough weeding and they should be good to go. Can't wait to see the rest of your pics.

I'm on my way to buy a thingamabob to connect my camera to computer to download a pic. But, since I wrote the following, thinking I could then find this weed online, here's my effort: Forget what I wrote in entry #1. Almost all in shade. Now up to 14" high. Top of plant looks like a very, very poor man's Baby's Breath . Beginning at bottom of plant: Taproot + branching roots from tap. 1" thru 2" above ground begins few branches. Branches do not re-branch for 8" to 10". Leaves are very faintly hairy on both surfaces. Leaves alternate every 2", except at top of stem where re-branching occurs where they are opposite. Leaves on stem oval to round, show very slight indentation(s). Leaves after branching near top are oval. At top of plant are flowers on 1/2" to 1" stem, usually from 2 stems that branch from end of 2" stem. Flowers are tiny, white, accompanied by larger 3-part (indented) tiny (head of pin or smaller) green seed pod (?). What surprises me is that as closely as I've examined this (weed) I can't find it online. Does seem that the photo collections of "weeds" for identifying are comprised 50% of marijuana weed photos. LOL

Thanks Ken, I'll do some more research online. I agree, I'm not looking for a very fast growing tree as I know the problems with such trees. I'm fine with 2-3' of growth each year. It just looks like most Oaks will outgrow my yard, probably not while I'm in the house but I don't want it to be a problem for the next owner. The tree would be 20-30' from my house and my neighbors. I would be sold on the Blackgum but they are hard to find and hard to transplant. I'd hate to waste another year on a Blackgum that ends up dying, but maybe I'm worrying too much. As for the Shantung maple, I don't need to plant anything under it, but it may be somewhat close to a stone patio I will install in the near future, so I wouldn't want the roots to become a problem with that. So I think I'm between Blackgum and Shantung Maple now. Eastern Redbud is another option, but from what I read they are relatively short-lived. Am I right in avoiding Oaks due to the size? Or will it look ok 30-50 years from now towering over my house?