Around the Yard

I haven't told my husband yet, but this tree's days are numbered.  This is the before shot of the garden, before the weeding was started, before the tree gets yanked.

I'm nearly done weeding it now, but that tree... I hate that tree.

Poor hubby is going to come home one day, and as he drives up to the house, he'll see me in the yard with a saw in one hand, and the tree in the other.

There are a few Lily's that don't look very happy, a Seedum (sp?) and a Hosta in the garden.  I don't really like the garden in general, and am really torn about whether I will even keep it. I may move all the plants I like to the new garden that I'm planning (still trying to wrap my head around it all).

I found that while I was weeding this spot, I was really uncomfortable.  The road is just on the other side of the creek there, and it felt kinda weird being gawked at by everyone on their way home from work.  At least when I'm working up by the house, I feel a little more secure.

The debate is whether or not I can pull the tree, and not have it look dumb (it does kinda need some height... maybe), and whether I can plant it to be very, very low maintenance.  If I can throw anoter Hosta in there, and then just ignore it and let it do it's thing, it may be ok.

So, the process that I'm thinking is:

1) cut down the stupid ugly tree
2) put down cardboard over the garden, but around the plants that I like
3) mulch over top of the carboard
4) plant any Hosta's / whatnot to fill in the gap left by the tree
5) hope that the cardboard prevents all the grass form coming through again.  I kinda think that the previous owners just threw some mulch on the yard and turned it into a garden, without actually taking the grass out, because the grass is just prevailant through there.  It's what I've spent the past three nights pulling!

Any thoughts?