Lasagna Gardening

Late one summer I read an article about planting new garden beds right over existing lawn. I had recently completed a project that involved digging up lawn, and even worse, having to dispose of said dug-up grass, so I was intrigued. I decided to try it and started with a small island bed on the east side of my yard. I layered cardboard and newspaper on the lawn, got it wet, and then piled soil and compost on top of it. Apparently the paper products decompose fairly quickly and enrich the soil as they do so; for that reason, I used only plain brown cardboard and black-and-white newsprint. Also, I made sure to remove all labels, tape, and so forth from the cardboard. I put border stones around the area to help hold the pile of soil but didn't dig them in yet because I wasn't sure what would happen. After letting the soil settle for a couple of weeks, I planted small plants on the island and then mulched it for the coming winter. I probably didn't wait long enough to plant, being the impatient person I am, but still it worked like a charm. Some articles I have read advocate waiting anywhere from a season to a year to plant. I imagine that would vary depending on your climate and type of soil.

I added another island the next year, using the same technique, and then the year after that I connected the two islands and added a mulch path. For the mulch path area, I mowed the lawn as short as I could and layered the paper products along with plastic to kill the grass. I did have to wait about a month for that, but then I removed the plastic, left whatever paper was there, and put mulch over the top. I have expanded two other garden beds using this technique, and it hasn't failed yet. See photos below showing island #1, island #2, and then the connected garden with mulch path.

I love lasagna!