A first year garden can be really "weedy", but keep in mind that most all of what w do refer to as "weeds", unwanted plant growth, are also wild flowers that can harbor beneficial insects, pollinators and predators. You could till the area and till in those "weeds" adding them to the organic matter in the soil and seed a cover crop, some of which have allelopathic (growth suppressing)properties, or cover the area with a good mulch (tree leaves are good here). Have a good reliable soil test done as well, now, so any amendments necessary can be added now and be ready for use next growing season. Contact your counties office of the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service about that soil test. In addition you may want to use these simple soil tests to help guide you in making the soil into a good healthy soil. 1) Soil test for organic matter. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drainsâ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. Here is a link that might be useful: UMD CES

Goodness your yard is daunting. It does help put mine in perspective when I'm feeling sorry for myself after picking up sticks and raking leaves. I think I'm ready for the leaves this year. At least I'm keeping up with sticks and have a garden to put them on once I get them chopped up. We'll see, it would be better if I picked up after the dog too.

My perennials have never looked better with the exception of the eons old candytuft in one border. And the weirdest thing is I never cut it back last Fall - in fact I never cut it back. I just think the snow lay too much and too long on some things. I ended up trimming it tho and there is new growth already. The shrubs had the roughest time, and not just the boxwood. I wish I would have had the foresight to not hard prune the privet hedge back in the summer. My courtyard lost it's wind screen I'm certain. Should have waited until Feb. like I did with the tall privet hedge along the road in 2012. But geeze, there was snow and below temps this Feb! no way could I have gone out and done all that work.

I would think that it would give an uneven cut, and infection could set in. However, after saying that, at my old house I had a huge perennial bed. I would cut it with the hedge clippers, and then set the lawnmower to the highest setting, and go over the bed. I lost a few things, but there was so much in there, I hardly noticed it, and the hardiest survived.