Need help with new backyard- new home purchase

I purchased a new home and the backyard will be a challenge. As you can see in the pics, it is quite overgrown. I would like some help on the below items. Thank you!

1. Weeds grow under the trees and around the top hardscaping. What can be down to make this area attractive with the least amount of on-going maintenance?

2. I can't get a mower to the top section which is 12ft x 12ft- what could I do with this area?

Thank you

Turn it into a low light garden and forget about mowing all together.
You will never get a useful lawn to grow under those trees.
Make it tactile with some bromiliads to add colour and shape , some ferns of different sizes & forms
make some pathways with coloured wood chip and spray them for weeds twice in the spring.

Some defined beds of succulents will do well under the trees provided it does not snow.
Every where else plant prostrate herbs.

However it would be good if we knew who was going to inhabit the yard , kids dogs ?

Thanks! No inhabitants of the yard.

Do I need to first clean out all the existing stick, weeds, etc prior to planting/seeding anything?

Consider asking your County Extension Serviceabout a cultivar of Monkey Grass for those areas.

This pictured is in full shade on the north side with the exception of a small amount of sun AM and PM during June and July - ( Summer Solstice ) period.

For this small area I mow once / season in February with a string trimmer taking it down to the dirt. The green pic is in the month of May and that's about as tall as it gets.

Consider asking your County Extension Service about a cultivar of Monkey Grass for those areas.

This pictured is in full shade on the north side with the exception of a small amount of sun AM and PM during June and July - ( Summer Solstice ) period.

For this small area I mow once / season in February with a string trimmer taking it down to the dirt. The green pic is in the month of May and that's about as tall as it gets.
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EDIT: I've since found this info.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/or...ss-a-spectacular-groundcover-for-the-lawn.htm

And within this link - Ophiopogon japonicus, often referred to as mondo grass, is another popular form of monkey grass, and are generally considered smaller versions. This type has fine, darker colored foliage and works well in settings that are more formal. This variety also tends to perform better in shadier areas as opposed to full sun. Heights vary from two to twelve inches, depending on the particular species.

That's a lot of Mondo grass.
generally we use it down here between stepping stones it inhibit weed growth and gaps in rockeries.
Don't know how it would go as a complete lawn.
We have done quite a few make overs where we totally removed all of the grass due to shade.
Shade is needed as the houses were in 40 C summer temperature zone and very low water availibility.
Actually got a succulent garden established and succulents need very minimal care once established.

Things like orchids do well in low light as well and clivias clumped around the trunks of the trees add a different green, different shapes and bright colour when in flower.
Agapanthus will also do the same thing as will all of the ginger lillies.

This type of planting sort of makes each tree trunk look like an island and is very effective, requires very minimal maintenance as all of those plants will outgrow most weeds.
The area between the trees can be either paths done with gravel, timber chips etc and a spray with glyco will keep them weed free.

If you don't have pets or kids that need to run on the grass, you don't need any grass.
The green areas which look a little like an ivy in your photos could also be over seeded with native wildflowers.
You can usually get big bags of them for minimal cost

jerome99 said:

I purchased a new home and the backyard will be a challenge. As you can see in the pics, it is quite overgrown. I would like some help on the below items. Thank you!

1. Weeds grow under the trees and around the top hardscaping. What can be down to make this area attractive with the least amount of on-going maintenance?

2. I can't get a mower to the top section which is 12ft x 12ft- what could I do with this area?

Thank youView attachment 44534View attachment 44535

Click to expand...

Prepare a homemade weed killer by using vinegar, salt, and water. Spray this solution on weeds to kill it. Also, weed torching with the help of small landscape flamers will be helpful to remove stubborn weeds.
To improve landscaping, conduct a soil test and add essential fertilizers to it. Thereafter, spread grass seeds according to the soil type. Also, you can plant different flowers at the nook of the landscape area.