After removing our front lawn 2 years ago, we thought we were being wise by laying out landscape fabric, then laying approximately 3 inches of landscape bark on top. We felt confident that by removing the lawn (and the weeds!), then spraying a pre-emergent herbicide on the remaining soil, we would rid our front yard of weeds forever, or at least for a long time. Oh how naïve.

Although we did enjoy a year of a lawn-less front yard, patiently waiting for native plantings to be installed (another story for another day!), this year our luck ran out! Apparently I hadn't been noticing the front yard much recently, but after the last big rainstorm a few weeks ago, I came out one day & was horrified to discover a weed-infested front yard!

There was wiry Bermuda grass creeping everywhere, plus thorny thistles & dandelions galore! And they weren't just resting on top, loosely nestled in the landscape bark, oh no, these weeds were popping right up through the landscape fabric!   I was shocked and dismayed! When did this happen? More importantly HOW did this happen? Why had our landscape fabric failed us and allowed this unwanted and unattractive greenery to invade our space?!

As it turns out, apparently there is no magic wand to keep the weeds away. And unfortunately, sometimes weed barriers can be more of a burden than a helping hand. Most likely I will leave it be for now, but I'll have to keep a careful eye & enlist the help of family members to do the same to ‘nip any weeds in the bud' so they get removed quickly and aren't allowed to get out of control again. But the damage is done; holes in the fabric will be a constant invitation to more intrusive greenery!

Luckily for me, Weed Day 2014 is coming to UC Davis on July 10^th, so I can hopefully figure out how to beat the weeds at their own game!! Maybe I'll see you there!?

 “Weed Day is an opportunity to see ongoing weed management research on the UC Davis campus and to discuss some of the weed research projects being done in other parts of the state.” For a full agenda, visit the UC WeedRIC website (http://wric.ucdavis.edu) and click on WEED DAY 2014.