How do you get plants to cease growing in areas you don't want them?

I am a new gardener. There a small rocks in front of my home. I thought it would prevent the growth of plants. However, the plants continue to grow. I don't want to put plastic underneath because I have seen how it can conduct the flow of water. What should I do to keep my designated areas clear of plants? I want to put rocks in other areas where I prefer no plants.

How do you get plants to cease growing in areas you don't want them?
You might also try a couple layers of newspaper under a thin layer of soil or mulch. it works because the fibers are too thick for the plants to grow through. also it's cheaper than the plastic and you probably get the paper anyways. it's easy and you can place it close to the plants you do want to keep weeds away. it also tends to allow much of the water through. chemicals don't last forever and don't work on all plants all the time. a barrier does. just be sure to overlap the layers to prevent them from weaseling through the cracks.
Reply:You may want to try Round Up . This chemical is meant to kill unwanted weeds or anything you have that you don't want to have growing.
Reply:Try Preen. They are granules that you work into the soil.
Reply:Inch layer of sand under the rocks.


Round-Up!
Reply:Rocks are always difficult to weed around, even if they're applied thickly.





I prefer something else for mulch, like wood chips, bark, straw, grass clippings, even a decorative mulch over cardboard. Otherwise you're caught in the cycle of either hand weeding or nuking with herbicides, which I prefer to avoid if at all possible.