Hello Sara,
Cutting the trees back will not stop them growing - in fact it's more likely the opposite will happen. If there are really too many you need to chop them right down and maybe get the stumps ground down too. Weeds I can sympathise with, as we have so many. I would recommend elbow grease, or getting a professional in to have a really good go at digging them out. Your best bet is just to keep at it, little and often at the border of your garden, rather than dump chemicals etc and hope that will do the job for you. Covering with black plastic for a longer spell may help (do a search on this site). How big is the garden roughly? A photo of your problem would help if you could provide one?
In the mean time, enjoy some colourful pots and plants in the clearest parts of the garden, and try to reclaim it little by little, I think that's what I'd aim for.
Good luck and don't get disheartened!

Thanks for your advice and ideas! We moved in 3 years ago and have neglected the garden badley - too much other stuff in the house to focus on first! We have one huge raised bed on the left, prob about 2/3 of the entire garden and a samller on on the right with a path running between them! The weeds are just covering both of the beds. I have tried digging them up and they grow back with a vengance! I will try the black plastic you have suggested! My other half is not interested in gardening in the least but I want something semi low maintenence (i there is ever such a thing!) with loads of pots and baskets so I can potter out there till my heart is content! Will post some pics to give you a better idea of what i'm up against! Thank you!

Two things, Sarabutler - don't worry about the weeds until and unless you want to plant - its pointless getting rid of the weeds if you're not then going to plant and keep it weeded regularly. If you're not ready to sort it out properly and plant, then black plastic over the ground will do the trick till you are ready.
Second, the trees - cut them down, drill into the stumps that are left with a medium sized woodbit, fill the tunnels you make with SBK (brushwood killer from garden centre) cover and leave. This will kill them off and stop regrowth. Do not use the SBK as a general weedkiller though - it'll sit in the soil for ages and is toxic to anything that grows.

Welcome to Goy Sara. Old gardeners say one years seeds is seven years weeds. Weed seeds can stay in the soil a long time. If you could put a photo of your weeds on we could maybe help you identify how to cope with them long term. Weeds that grow and come up year after year are perennials and need to be dug out. Annual weeds can often be kept down by hoeing the tops off. They will not grow without light to the leaves. Keep us updated as we all want you to succeed.

Thank you to everyone who has suggested things to tackle my jungle! I have dug all the weeds up, covered with black tarpalin and will endevour to get that covered in stone chips this week! I ahve cust all the trees back and will treat them this week too! I think the back breaking work has been done - 7 hours saturday and another 5 today solid digging and gardening! it'll be worth is in the summer! will stick some pics us as soon as I can to show your my progress! Cant wait to start on the pots and baskets though! My garden looks a million times better already! Thank you all so much

Well done

it was hard work but worth it! still so much to do but i'm really looking forward to it now!

sounds as if you've made a huge difference already with all your hard work. Hope you really enjoy the garden this year.

You never know with your other half... made me smile cos mine took at least 10 years to start to show an interest in the garden, starting off with the water butt system (!) here which gathers some of our roof-water, and now the last 2 years he's been getting interested in growing some veg. I actually wonder where he is in the house sometimes (used to be armchair, computer or bathroom or asleep, no other options to consider) and find he's out there admiring the new raised beds or checking on the bean wigwam, or maybe watering something. Can't tell you how lovely that is!

Oh no, he's very much the arm chair type, especially when there is football, golf or cricket on! Hopefully we'll be able to eat outside in the summer which will give him some incentive to get out there! All of my family are mad keen gardners so I can almost hear them saying "at last, you have found your green fingers".