This is called a lasagna bed. I've done it many times.

If you have existing grass or weeds in the area, you need to wait for them to be smothered before planting, preferably until fall if you do it now. Putting dirt on top of the paper is totally unnecessary unless you want to raise the surface level. Mulch is much better.

If you want to prepare an area for immediate use, your best bet is the old fashioned way of digging up the sod, or using something like roundup to kill everything first.

If you search these forums for lasagna gardening, you'll find enough to read for days.

It's a very common method for preparing a new planting bed but is usually done some time in advance of planting. The moistened newspapers effectively smother any weed growth and the layer of mulch, etc. keeps them in place and hastens decomposition. After a period of time, the newspapers decompose and the area is a rich, weed-free planting bed.

A foot of mulch is not necessary - generally you only need about 4-6 inches. You CAN use a thicker layer but if you do, I'd want to make sure what is added is not all mulch - a mulch/soil mixture is better and what you will have is essentially a raised bed or berm. If this is the route you go, you can plant immediately and no worries about the paper. Just dig or cut through it.

And you want to be very careful about using this method around trees. The bulk of a tree's fine feeder roots - the ones that keep it alive and access all the water and nutrients - are located right beneath the soil surface. Piling on soil or mulch - even as little as a couple of inches - can impede water penetrating down in to the root zone and smother these roots. The result is a dead tree in a few years.

This is a great way to make a bed. I usually use cardboard, but have used assorted types of paper, like newspaper, pizza boxes, cereal boxes, brown paper shopping bags, even office paper. I lay down paper right over the weeds (sometimes mow first) and then add layers of organic matter such as leaves, coffee grounds, grass clippings, etc. I usually wait to plant the bed - from 3-12 months, depending on how quickly it decomposes. The addition of soil would probably allow you to plant sooner. This method results in softer, richer soil that is much easier to dig.

I was going to say (but Gardengal beat me to it) - EIGHT inches of soil over tree roots?? Are you sure that is what the book recommended? That's appalling.

I make all news beds this way now, since discovering this method a couple of years ago. It is the only way to go for creating a new large bed, especially if you don't have a tiller!

It does require some advanced planning. I usually cover the newspaper with a 4 inch or so thick layer of mulch, and leave everything alone for at least six months. Last fall we did one, and I was able to plant it in the spring.

I don't wait to plant...newspapers/cardboard (I find that some cardboard decomposes much more quickly than newspaper, so needs more thickness to the layers), then pile on anything I have...leaves, grass clippings, whatever dirt I have (the leaves and grass make up for the poor soil that came in the last load!) If planting perennials, I need to make sure to add material of some kind around the root area before winter, as the organic material decomposes and settles.

And yes, you paper the area you want to plant, unless you are willing to remove all vegetation and roots ahead of time.

This method is a little difference, the idea appears to be to mow the area down to the nub, then cover it with a lot of newspaper (you say cardboard decompose faster and works better?) The newspaper act as a barrier to the weed, smothering it.

Next dump a foot of very good topsoil on top and start planting right away. Your top soil is now your subsoil. The idea is that the newspaper will decompose overtime, giving a chance for your plant to grow.

Paul

This method is a little difference, the idea appears to be to mow the area down to the nub, then cover it with a lot of newspaper (you say cardboard decompose faster and works better?) The newspaper act as a barrier to the weed, smothering it.

Next dump a foot of very good topsoil on top and start planting right away. Your top soil is now your subsoil. The idea is that the newspaper will decompose overtime, giving a chance for your plant to grow.

Paul

(you say cardboard decompose faster and works better)

Most of my cardboard decomposes faster, but that's NOT working better for me, because there isn't enough time for everything underneath to be smothered.

I've used it and it works.
Marie

Paul, most people don't have that much topsoil laying around and buying it would be expensive. OTOH, organic refuse is free for the taking everywhere. And how do you change the grade of a garden bed so drastically without it looking weird compared to the rest of the landscape? Unless it's a raised bed.

And it seems to me if you follow this book's method, why bother with mowing and newspaper? Very few weeds are going to survive under a foot of topsoil!

I have used this method as well with good results. The first time I used newspaper and layered it with topsoil, leaves, topsoil...etc. The next summer the ground was so easy to work with I could dig with my hands.
Now I just use newspaper with mulch on top. It may not feed the soil as well, but it sure smothers the grass. It seems that worms love decomposing newspaper (cardboard, whatever), so they mix everything into the soil well. I usually do this and plant right away...or plant and then create the bed (ok,so I don't have much patience...LOL).

when you make a worm composting box all you use at the beginning, to get them started, is shredded newspaper dampened in water. They love it!

Thank for the input. Since adding a foot of soil would make the bed a bit high, I decided to tilt the soil slightly. I scraped off the very top bit of the soil along with weed, and then dump a mix of 50% compost / 50% top soil, about half a foot.

I dug a hole and filled it with water and sprinkled some mycorrhiza before planting the plants, since disturbing the soil supposedly destroys mycorrhiza.

I planted some beebalm and New England Aster. Both are pretty tough plants and should do well in full sun, though half the things I planted there hasn't done well. I am beginning to think that the place is cursed.

Paul