Advice on weeding crazy paving

[DidoAndHerLament]

I have a garden to look after for the first time in my (middle-aged) life and I'd appreciate your advice. I'm renting and my lease states I have to keep the garden appropriately planted and maintained.

I've been out today weeding the crazy paving and have a couple of questions -

1. What's the best tool for this? My kitchen knife was very effective at digging out the grass and dandelions but is now ruined!

2. This looks quite pretty, it has a purple tinge to it (see photo) and I'd like to leave it. What do you think?

This tool is what you need, although out of stock on Amazon, similar tools can be found at most garden centres. Much more robust than a kitchen knife!
The little purple plant is a violet, possibly Viola labradorica which often self seed themselves in nooks and crannies. Up to you whether you remove it.

I have a wire brush/ scraper on a long handle, very cheap from most garden centres-£4.99.
I like to leave the self sown plants, but remove weeds(obvs) and any moss, by hand.

Thank you Nan and JT05. Someone suggested weed killer would be easier but I don't like the idea of chemicals, plus I find it very satisfying to pull up all those weeds, especially when I get all the roots.

Heavy duty wallpaper scrapers are fantastic

Top tip, it is massively easier when the ground is wet, so wait for rain or water the area you are clearing before having at it.

Keep your trashed knife for future garden use!

Definitely leave pretties there to hold back the ugly weeds. You may need to resort to killer for the really entrenched things. Roundup neutralizes as soon as it reaches soil, so it only takes out what you get it on. There are spot gels if you want to avoid sprays.

I don't know what people think about using boiling water on paths etc? It won't permanently kill off stuff like dandelions like glyphosate would but if you do it every week or two it should keep it all looking clean. Obviously don't do it next to wanted plants, borders etc as it kills everything including some of the soil bacteria.

Thanks so much fo your advice. I'll keep my pretty weed and search for a proper tool. I'll be out there next time it rains.

The the most effective thing I've found for clearing between slabs is the old fashioned bone or horn handled table knives - I get them from house clearance/junk shops.