starting a flowerbed
 

We live in southwest missouri - have bermuda grass. I want to start flowerbeds where we now have a lawn. I have read where you can lay down paper and then compost and it will kill the grass in 3 months or so - I do not want to dig the lawn out as these would be large areas. Any suggestions?

Flowerbed
 

That will work fine. Ensure you have a few layers (6 is sufficient) of newspaper down to ensure you smother things properly.

:thumbsup: I have 2 large mature (30 plus years) that I would like to plant a shade garden underneath - can I use the same technique without killing the tree?

You can as the newspaper will rot allowing the moisture to reach the root zone. One note of caution - excess soil on top of roots can damage some types of trees. You should check with your local Agriculture Extension office to see if your tree species will withstand a flowerbed over the roots.