Mulchbed challenges

I posted a little while ago regarding some assistance on some flooding in my mulchbed, and now I return with more care and upkeep guidance.

1. Old leaves have been gathering and building up all over the bed; in corners, under shrubs, inside of plants, etc. is there a better approach to taking care of them short of manually pulling them out? I’ve seen some suggest that leaving them is fine but I can tell they’re building up a lot and it’s very messy. Would a blower work?

2. Weeds. There are a billion of them, I swear I spray them down as I see them once or twice a week but they keep coming back. Do I need stronger stuff? Do I need something like a yard spray to just cover everything?

3. I am not a green thumb but I’d like to take better care of the plants here. Any ID or suggestions anyone could provide for these plants so I can better take care of them, I would greatly appreciate it.