My Own Fault

The last few years, by this time, I've had quite a few zinnias popping up in my front flower bed where I transplanted them a few years ago. They reseed themselves so I don't even have to worry about spreading more seeds each year.
This year, I have one.
One.
From half a flower bed full of zinnias to ... one.
And it's breaking my heart a bit. But it's my own fault.

You see that picture above? Full disclosure. That's my actual flower bed right now. It's a MESS. My phlox has taken over so much more than I meant for it to. The grass has grown up between and betwixt everything else. It's overcome my tulips and several other plants. And apparently has covered up my zinnias. They have nowhere to pop up.
How did I get to this point?
I went out and weeded several times over the last year and a half, but not as much as it needed. You see, when we were having housework done last year, that bed got absolutely trampled. I thought I had lost everything. Instead, when it came back, the weeds came back three times worse. But by that time it was fall and everything was dying back, so I left it.
Bad choice. Because then, this spring, I was too busy to get out there and do much.
You get the idea.
When you leave things for "some other time," sometimes that other time doesn't come. And sometimes the stuff you're leaving takes over and becomes three times worse. Like weeds.
So, guess who gets to get out in the heat now and try to tame the jungle that is my front flower bed? Or maybe I'll wait until fall ...
What do you think? Do you sometimes wait too long to tackle a task and then live to regret it? Any tips on killing that stupid grass off so I don't have to fight it every year?