I don't like to kill many weeds in the springtime, as they are often an early season food source for bees and other nectar feeders. Now though, most of the yellow, white, and purple flowers once dotting my lawn and garden are gone, leaving only unwanted leaves and the roots beneath them.

Looking onto the first chore of tomorrow morning, here are our options for a plan of attack, whether the weeds are poking up through the concrete, or peppering the garden.

Chemical herbicides and fungicides can contaminate the soil and water for miles around through runoff, and that many commercial weed killers contain probable carcinogens.

Some compounds we'll look at later come with side effects, that while being harmless for the water supply, can disrupt the garden ecology. First, we'll take a look at some elements that are simply safe.