Does anyone have an "Elm St Garden" ("as in Nightmare on"?)

This is my first start of a new topic - not sure what I am doing!

All of my gardens are new (within the last 3.5 years). One of them, formerly known as the "White Garden," completely got away from me its second year. My mother broke her hip and I was running back and forth to the hospital, nursing home, her house, etc. (which involves a ferry ride in addition to bit of a drive). The garden started growing nothing but blackberry vines (more like trees), sheep sorrel, and tall, weedy grass. When life more or less got back to normal, I was so intimidated by it that I started a new bed in a different spot instead. The Elm Street Garden continued to thrive (as a nightmare, that is).

The next year, still intimidated by the problem, I again let it go and worked on new things instead.

Needless to say, it is truly, truly a mean, rotten nightmare! I've begun the task of cleaning it up, but am still so intimidated I could cry (well, not quite). My dh suggested I just re-rototill the whole thing, but I do have some terrific plants still alive in the jungle that I want to rescue - plus, the sheep sorrel will just be rejuvenated by rototilling.

Maybe I just need to vent (and confess that I'm having trouble staying focused???!!!). Any suggestions, or even just some commiseration, would be appreciated.

Carole