Tabula [Not-so-] Rasa

Here is the raw material, the spot I would like to put my raised garden beds:

Well, it's sort of a crummy photo, but there was a cardinal just sitting there, looking all happy and spring-like.  (and plus, my friend Amy says cardinals are a sign of good luck) So...here's a better photo to give you an idea of size and placement.  See how sunny it is at 10:00 a.m.?

The problem is, it's not exactly a blank slate to start with.  I have all sorts of plants--miscellaneous, unplanned perennials, both planted without planning by me, or inherited from the previous owners.  See the peonies already coming up?  I know from experience that if we transplant them now, they won't come up again for a couple of years.  These peonies are special to me, though, because they originally came from my grandmother's garden over 50 years ago. They were transplanted to my parents' house in 1981 or 1982.  I transplanted them to my house in 2005.  The peonies with history will need to find a new home, unfortunately.

There are also things I can't identify:  some stray tulips?  some ramps or green onions?  a weed?

And then there's this monster weigela, which is just gorgeously resplendent with red flowers through the summer, but needs to be trimmed back to not throw too much shade on the beds.

Here's what all this looks like in the early summer, from a different angle.  Lovely blooms, but much of this will need to move, as the raised beds will be to the right of the weigela.

Before learning about raised beds, I would have moved the plants, then tilled the space with a roto-tiller or by hand.  Our soil is good there, but all the previous vegetation would have created a weeding nightmare.  With a raised bed I can put down a layer of landscape fabric or self-composting newspaper, and even a layer of chicken wire to prevent moles or voles from coming underneath, then add my soil on top.

The weather is going to be nice this weekend, so here's my overly-ambitious to-do list:

1. get rid of yard waste, leaves

2. trim weigela

3. measure space for two 4' x 4' raised beds or one 4' x 8', if possible

4. try to identify, then move or give away desirable plants

5. clear and level space for beds as much as possible

I haven't decided if I'm going to buy a pre-made structure or try to make my own.  It will require a few more nights of sleeping on it.  Meanwhile, I'm already having dreams of luscious tomatoes and huge leaf lettuce salads.