I have great sympathy for your situation, Christine. I was sidelined from gardening for more than 2 months due to illness. It was a jungle when I returned to my chores. I've slowly gotten it in better shape. But, here in Florida, wild gardens are a thing. I call it Guerilla Gardening. Plant as much as you can in a space. Don't allow much room for weeds. See what lives. Get rid of what doesn't and plant something new. Unfortunately, that method of gardening doesn't work in places outside the tropics and semi-tropics.

A neat carpet of grass with some manageable plants in the ground or in plants may be exactly what you need and certainly is not a symbol of defeat. It's a symbol of adaptability. That's how we all survive to thrive!