Our Yard Needs Help...and a lot of work

When we moved into this house in June, 2007, neither Aaron nor I had ever had a yard before that had been so beautifully ~ and lovingly ~ planted. For all that we have found inside this house that the previous owners did wrong, you can't say they didn't love their yard. It was easy to get swept up in the beauty of it when we first saw it.

During that first year so many people told us to leave the yard alone for a year (beyond pulling weeds and mowing the grass, that is) to see what we had. So for that first summer we did nothing. Then, that January we found out our drainfield had failed and so our entire focus centered of saving our house. We didn't care too much about the yard. When we went to work (after months of planning, permitting, health department inspections...) on the drainfield, they dug four long trenches into our backyard - basically gutted it. Gardening was far from our minds.
Last year we focused on the backyard, knowing the front yard needed help but not quite sure what and how. Another winter has passed and here we are...April. A front yard that cries out for attention and me with absolutely no clue what to do first. The grass has been overtaken by moss, we have dandelions big enough to be considered islands (all they need is a moat and some water) and just...a mess. I'm not even sure where to begin. I've never been much of a green thumb so I've never taken the time to learn too much about plants and gardening and lawns and such. Here we are, with this disaster and no plan of attack. I have jokingly said we should just dig it all up, plant new grass and call it good. Aaron always gives me this look. Truth is, it was so lovingly planted so many years ago, I cringe at the thought of losing it all.

Today, a beautiful spring day, we were out front pulling weeds (by we I mean Christopher & I) and looking around and just trying to figure out the plan of attack (ok - the looking & planning was just me). Aaron stayed in the garage. With all that needs to be done, I need an army. Or more hands. And to be in better shape. And to be younger. And...

Oh dear.

Christopher is a lot of help in the yard. The dog? Not so much...

Any ideas? Unfortunately, hiring a gardener/landscaper isn't in the cards at the moment. Although it seems to have moved up on the "things we will buy when Aaron gets a job" list.