Hello Rebecca,

Aside from the dandelions, clover, and what might be ground ivy, the majority of the weeds pictured appear to be winter annuals (we see bittercress and deadnettle, and possibly also chickweed). Winter annuals germinate in autumn, overwinter, and in spring mature, bloom, produce seed, and die before summer. They should be fairly easy to either remove manually or kill with organic herbicides or smothering. (Montgomery County restricts pesticide use on home lawns, but in this case they might not consider this to be a lawn given the limited actual grass. Still, using a synthetic systemic (root-killing) herbicide, if allowed, might still be overkill.) If smothering, use a light-blocking tarp or piece of landscape fabric (that you will remove before planting) to deny the weeds light. In time, perhaps a few weeks, they will starve and die out. Individual plants with substantial roots, like the dandelions, might need to be physically dug out.

Seeds from these and earlier generations of weeds will still be present in the soil, but once planting is finished, using mulch around them in any gaps between plants can help suppress their later germination. By limiting soil disturbance (digging, tilling, etc.) in the future, you'll restrict the opportunities those seeds have to germinate, and eventually they will expire.

Is the area not shaded by the deck a mostly-sunny spot (in summer, once any trees have leafed-out) or does it still get shadowed for part of the day by the house or fence? Full sun, for example, is considered 6-8 or more hours of unobstructed sun per day in summer. There is no set cutoff for hours of sunlight in the more nebulous "part sun" or "part shade" terminology, but if a location receives less than about 3 hours of direct sun, it would be considered a shady exposure. The deck's height helps with allowing some ambient light to reach that area, as evidenced by the weed growth, but it's definitely an area we'd consider to be shade when it comes to selecting plants tolerant of lower light. It may also be "dry shade" since the decking will block much of the rainfall.

We presume there aren't deer entering the yard to browse, given how confined the space is and the fact that they prefer not to jump over fences where they can't see where they're going to land. Rabbits, though, can be challenging to garden around if they nibble on things; reliable plant lists of species rabbits don't prefer are harder to find than those for deer, though there is a bit of overlap. If rabbits do visit the yard, you might need to experiment with what they will and won't eat, or use occasional applications of animal repellent sprays or granules to discourage them.

The other aspect of site conditions that will influence what species we'd recommend is soil moisture/drainage. Does the area outside of the deck drain well after heavy rain, stay damp (is there a roof downspout outlet nearby?), or skew dry? Many plants will be relatively easy to care for if they are well-matched to the site conditions they prefer. (It's much easier to select plants based on the conditions present rather than trying to adjust current conditions to suit specific plants.)

Pollinators have diverse needs so growing as many plant species as is practical will help support a wider array of beneficial insects. Plus, using various plant species allows you to spread-out how long something is in bloom (both for bee benefit and aesthetic appeal), since most perennial plants are only in flower for a few weeks each year. Staggering bloom times can extend the season of floral show. Native species tend to be the best choice for supporting wildlife, but you can include some non-invasive non-native species as well if desired, especially if they are annuals (live for only one year, between the spring and autumn frosts) that will be in bloom more-or-less continuously all summer. Lantana and Verbena, for instance, are two annual plants that are popular with pollinators for sunny locations in good drainage. Growing annuals or perennials in pots, if certain species you want require better drainage than you have, is another option.

There are too many suitable plants to list them all here, but we can share some resources you can explore for ideas. We're currently revamping our Groundcovers web page, but the new version may be several weeks away yet. Start by looking for any of the largest-growing species you may want to grow, since they will likely occupy the areas closest to the fence to avoid blocking a view, and work your way down to smaller species. In general, shrubs mature larger than perennials, but that can also greatly depend on the species or cultivar in question, since there are many dwarf shrub varieties on the market today.

Web resources for finding native plant candidates (they will overlap in content since their focus is on easier-to-find, showy species):

• Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Native Plants of Maryland by UMD Extension
• Landscaping with Native Plants by the Maryland Native Plant Society
• Native Plants for Northern Virginia (still applicable here)

Here are some handy lists of native plant sources/suppliers, though they're not exhaustive:

• Maryland Native Plant Society vendors list
• Mt. Cuba Center nursery resources

One option to keep costs low and to make planting a bit easier is to look for plants in plug size. Plugs are young plants older than the seedling stage but younger than the typical plant/pot sizes at most nurseries (typically 1 or 2 quart up to 1 gallon or so pot volumes). Plugs are gradually becoming easier to find because of growing popularity in their use, though a greater diversity of species in plug form are still available via mail-order or native plant specialty nurseries compared to area multi-purpose garden centers. Starting native plants from seed can be inexpensive and rewarding, but difficult if you need to learn how to distinguish them from weed seedlings, both of which may look different from their adult form in leaf shape and growth habit. (A compromise can be to start native seeds on containers with fresh potting mix that will greatly reduce how many weed seeds germinate alongside them. You can then transplant them into the ground once they get old enough to not have their root balls fall apart when tipped out of the container.) Since plugs have a small root system, often only a couple inches wide and a few inches deep, they are quick to plant. The same after-care will be needed for any installed plant size -- regular monitoring for watering needs so they don't get too dry while establishing. Once settled-in after their first growing season or two, species that have a natural tolerance for drought will be more self-sufficient.

Using mulch between plants, at least until they fill in with maturity, will reduce future weed issues. Once you learn to recognize the young stages of weed growth, you can pluck them out as soon as they're detected so they don't take over or go to seed.

If you need to break-up the yard renovation project into sections due to time or budget, you can weed and plant some areas while keeping others (where ideally the weeds were killed off so they don't keep spreading) covered with mulch until you're ready to plant.

Miri