Everything before 'cover with plastic and leave until next summer' would be unnecessary except to reduce the bulk by mowing or weed-wacking, so the plastic lays flat. Cardboard also works and does not need to be removed later, a plan I prefer since you never know what seeds are going to sprout after you remove a smother barrier. This also allows the weed material to decompose and help improve the soil with very little effort on your part. You can cover the cardboard with mulch so it's not ugly and stays in place. When you get a gardening urge next year, install some plants. Shrubs are the easiest to deal with when one doesn't have much time to spend. As long as they're not eventually too big for the spot, most can be a "plant it and forget it" plant that only needs occasional trimming for structure and dead twigs or branches. They will shade the ground around them so weeds are less likely to sprout, and it's easy to add new mulch around them as the old become thin enough to allow weeds to grow, and/or to add a new smother layer if something does creep into the area. Low maintenance and rock garden are not necessarily married. Do you mean a rock mulch? Whatever seeds find their way to that are just as likely to sprout, but harder to pull out, especially tree sprouts. Whatever you don't like, you're right to say it should go. You don't have to know what you want to eventually do to get started wiping the slate clean.

Or move to a well-drained garden bed. I find they are either a short-lived perennial or a biennial. But the magenta (and I mean MAGENTA) blooms against the dull grey-green leaves are spectacular. FataMorgana

I would ask some questions before getting to far along I see this post started back a bit but... is this a open area or is it shaded by the house, tree, etc? Corn is wild pollinated so it would be better (critical mass) to have a larger area with several rows or be less organized and do a honey comb pattern and as the corn gets say 3 1/2 feet high plant acorn squash or vine beans with them as the corn is harvested you get the beans climbing the corn for support. That is alot of summer squash for two unless thats zuchinni and summer(yellow) squash. Placement of plants is tricky cause you want to rotate placement next year and you don't want to shade short plants with tall plants. Raised beds you dont have to leave walk room but you will in a traditional garden that said if your renting you wouldn't want the expense of putting in raised beds... we have 400 sq feet of raised beds which provides for two with some for storage. I am planning on increasing that size next year as my kids get older and eat more. I would venture that this would equal about 600 sq feet if you had to leave walk ways. I do use poles for beans and trellis for cucumbers, peas, watermelon, and pumpkin. I would also add watch what you can double crop potatoes and peas will be done in time for you to put in pumpkin and late beans this will cut down on space you need. Carrots planted next to tomatoes can also be pulled for young tender carrots before the tomatoes tower over them might also want to look at planting borage and marigolds they help with pests and encourage pollinators to visit. One last bit of advice no matter how many years you do this you will always be new to it set aside a small area to try something new every year purple carrots, artichoke, peanuts, white pumpkin, asian greens, or funky color beans you will learn maybe find a new favorite vegi but more than likly you will just visit the garden more often and take better care of everything. Best of luck

1. Appears to be another lavender. Rub and sniff for confirmation. 2. Aquilegia vulgaris 3. Astilbe 4. Hebe 5. Hibiscus syriacus 6. Rhododendron Everything except your lavenders and the Hibiscus seem to be suffering from lack of water and I'm guessing your soil doesn't suit the Rhodie. Are you in the South East? Were the pix taken during the hot weather last week?