The weeds are coming, there is no getting around it. Have no fear, however, bark/mulch and occasional but routine maintenance makes light work of weeds.
This article will provide a good explanation >
https://extension.psu.edu/putting-an-end-to-my-landscape-fabric-nightmare
Also, take a look at this opinion piece by a professor of Horticulture >
The Myth of Landscape Fabric
I also read this online somewhere, that puts it into perspective… “I wish the word would get out to all homeowners that weed fabric is a waste of time and money.
No part of any garden can ever be “maintenance free”. A thick layer of mulch does the job of suppressing most weeds just fine all by itself. You may occasionally have to pull out a couple weeds, but it’s easy when there’s no fabric.
When weed seeds land on top of the fabric, and they will, the weeds will germinate and the roots will anchor nicely in the fabric, making it impossible to pull them out. It’s likely that eventually the fabric will need to be removed, but you’ll be ok with it because the plants will be stunted or dead due to a lack of moisture and you will be sick of looking at the fabric that invariably peeks out from under the mulch, looking like the garbage that it is.
It’s not your fault, how would you know? You’ve been duped by an industry that makes and sells an unnecessary and harmful product. You’ve taken the time to do something nice in your garden, but you’ve been set up for failure. I hope you don’t get discouraged, these trial and error exercises are the at the core of the gardening hobby.”
