If you hate weeding as much as I do, you might just love Weed Control fabric, offered by Du Pont. There are lots of other brand names and even off name brands available as well at most garden centers and many home improvement stores and super centers. The weed controlling material comes in different sized rolls, which can simply be rolled out to cover large areas or can be cut to size to fit between large plants or flower beds or can be made to fit around trees, planters, or walkways.
The material lets water and the other good stuff your plants need to get through but it keeps weeds from growing. I don’t know exactly how it does it but it works.
If you have a large area that needs protection from weeds and you do not want to spend a lot of money on weed control materials, there are some other options. If you simply do not like the look of the black blanket of fabric, you can try covering the fabric with mulch or stone.
Another option is to spray a natural weed killer that will not harm plants or grasses. If you don’t like sprays, gather grass clippings and cover the ground between and around plants. Tamp into place. Not only will grass clippings help protect against weeds but they will also help keep the ground moist for your plants and will help fertilize the soil and make it richer each year.
You can always use the tedious method of pulling weeds by hand, making sure you remove the roots as well, but why bother if you don’t have to? In some cases, you may still need to do a little weeding by hand, but your efforts should be reduced drastically if you use the above tips.