New (to us) house, weeds in red mulch, need suggestions

I believe the previous owner put down a lot of red mulch to improve look to sell house. But now it is full of weeds (from roots and seeds). (We've had unexpected and substantial health problems that have impacted our ability to address this. Did extensive first weeding in spring, but full of weeds again.)
I'm trying to decide: 1) weed it out and put on new mulch? 2) Remove mulch, put down weed fabric and re-mulch? 3) Remove mulch and put down patio blocks? (Two of the biggest and most problematic areas are large mulched areas on either side of existing in-ground patio.) 4) Other ideas?
This is a rather shady spot (early morning sun mostly) and I'd had fantasies of making it a Northeast US version of a mediterranean garden (plants of varying heights and colors, but in keeping with climate... also including some edibles.)
Any suggestions, personal experience, alternatives, etc. would be welcome.
Thank you so much for taking your time to read this.

Well, I suppose it depends on if you're will to weed more to save some money, or spend some more money to save you from weeding. I'm still a novice at gardening, so I don't necessarily know what I'm talking about(comforting, huh?). But, if you want to avoid weeds, you could just pour a concrete slab and make it a patio type area. I'm not experienced in patio blocks, but I'd imagine you'd eventually get weeds in the cracks...and I know that weed fabric eventually wears out and you can get stuff growing on top of it in the mulch. If you did go with concrete or patio blocks, you could still use it for a mediterranean garden, just use flower pots. We have an area that is a concrete patio in mainly shade, and I enjoy it a lot. I like it because I can go with one color scheme and theme one year, and change it the next. Also, if I don't like where something is, I can move it.

Well, hope this helps a little...if nothing else it will bump your post up so maybe others with better advice will take a look at it! Good luck with whatever you decide and hope that your health problems get better.

Kristie

I wouldn't use the weed fabric if you're doing a garden bed. It's not really good for the soil underneath, doesn't allow it to breathe normally and things like that. If you think you'll be able to upkeep the area, then I would weed out what's there, put down more mulch if the layer that's there isn't thick enough, and then if you keep up on the weeds as they grow they won't get so overwhelming, just a few to pull each week and you'll be able to keep up. But if you have health issues that are going to keep you from being able to maintain the area regularly, then you're better off putting down some sort of hardscape like the patio blocks (if you do those, I would put the weed fabric under them, it's great in situations like that, I just don't like it in garden beds where you want healthy soil to grow plants)

Thanks so much for your advice! I really appreciate it. Fabric under blocks is sounding good...
-Teresa

If you still want to have that mediterranean garden, which sounds goreous, I have a suggestion for you that sure has helped me deal with weeds in areas I wanted a nice garden. Spray all of the area with roundup to kill the weeds down then cover them up with cardboard. (You may be able to find lots of it if you ask local retailers if you could raid there cardboard recylcing bins.) Replace your mulch. Now all you would need to do to prepare that area for planting next spring will be to use the lasagna garden method. Have you heard of these easy no-dig gardening technique? Sure saves your back and gives your wonderful garden soil thanks to the layers of organic matter and our garden friends, the earthworms. http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf582744.tip.html

Kill the weeds already there. Put down Preen which prevents weed seeds from germinating, and then apply mulch, etc.