I have arthritis in my knees, and a bad back. Weeding is very far from pleasurable. But I'm curious about why you'd forego the membrane.
Ah, the garden forums have rumbled on for decades in gentle debates...but every so often, an issue will cause murderous mayhem. Usually, the soil and compost crew get the most heated but debates regarding the merits and fails of landscape membrane have ended up with threats, bannings and old friendships have withered on the vine. For myself, I installed it in my old gravel garden and even now, years later, I am still removing tattered bits of frayed plastic. It seemed a great idea, in my bindweed infested plot...but all I did was guide the horrible strangling vines to entangle themselves in the centres of beloved plants as they sought the light in every available aperture...and after a couple of years of soil, dirt and decaying plant materials accumulating ON TOP of the membrane (the gravel mulch proved to be a perfect seedbed for weeds)...while vicious couch rhizomes pierced the plastic,the maintenance is frustrating, joyless and worst of all, inefficient and ugly. Horrid battles with crumpled membrane, slicks of manky PVC where the top covering has worn thin, no hope of volunteers reseeding...unless it is chickweed and cleavers. And just try replanting in it - disaster.
Anyway, there is a place still for these membranes...at the base of woody hedge shrubs which are never moved, divided, replaced...and which can be sprayed for the inevitable weed infestations during growth periods in spring and autumn (not possible with soft herbaceous stems and foliage).
Knees - I cannot be kneeling either...and have achieved a back of iron from summers (and springs, autumns and winters) bending at the waist...but I also have one of those kneeler/stool thingies to sit on - Draper does a decent one for £18-20. Hopefully, once the seed reservoir is depleted, the ground covering qualities of many of these garrigue/maquis Mediterranean aromatic shrubs will mean weeding becomes less of a chore.
What is your soil like, Spangles? London clay? Does it crack and cause panning in summer...or does water drain fairly quickly?
If you consider rosemary, avoid the large upright types (Miss Jessup et al) and look for the lovely prostrate forms such as Benenden Blue. And do consider thymes (many and varied) for edging.
If you do have that particular London clay, I strongly suggest having a look at some of the clay-loving ground cover roses. Sommerwind/Surrey is an absolutely fabulous clear pink, in continuous bloom, lovely for a vase and only 3ft tall. There are a few others I heartily recommend.
