is after a really good soaking rain. The ground is soft and the weeds' roots come right up. I take my garden fork and fork out the weeds. Then you put down a deep layer of mulch, like three inches or more, to discourage future weeds. But the mulch has to be pretty deep. Check and see if there is a tree cutting service in your area that will leave you their chippings for free. Around here the tree guys will drive up with a dump truck of mulch and put as much as you want on your driveway for free.

My DH likes to put down that weed barrier plastic stuff, but I hate it. I really don't want to go in afterwards and cut holes in it to put in new plantings.
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"If you want yor children to be bright, read them fairytales-- if you want them to be brilliant, read them even more fairytales" Albert Einstein