Question
i have 3 or 4 flowerbeds roughly 7 feet long and 18 inches wide. i want to put tree bark mulch around them and want an alternative to weed membrane as im on a low budget.(having just slabbed my entire garden) would i be able to use black rubbish bags or such like

Answer
I've used old newspapers.  Lay about four or five sheets down, punch holes where you want the "good" plants, install them, then cover the newspaper with the mulch...plus, the woody pulp will break down faster than old trash bags and look better in the process.

It won't last as long as a true woven weed barrier, but most of these fabrics only realistically give you about 5 years of protection, anyway.  Weed seeds blow in, on top of all that great protection, and sprout in that nice, new mulch!

Pulling the little turkeys is still the best method of weed removal - its just so darn time-consuming!  The mulch helps keep the soil "fluffy", making the weed-pulling less of a chore.

Regards - Marc