An overgrown bed is rarely dead. Under the weeds there are usually established perennials and shrubs worth years of growth — removing them means starting the clock again.
We clear invasives first, cut structural shrubs back hard, rebuild the soil with compost, then re-edge the bed so the shape reads clean even before new plants go in.
The last step is the honest one: a maintenance plan sized to the time you actually have. A garden you can keep up with beats a garden that looks perfect for three weeks.
“Before you tear everything out, spend an hour identifying what is worth keeping. Usually it is more than you think.”