Start by talking with the people at your counties office of the Texas A & M Cooperative Extension Service about having a good, reliable soil test done so you know what your soils pH is as well as what the nutrient levels are. With that these simple soil tests,
1) Soil test for organic matter. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.

2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains� too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.

4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell.

5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.
might help you learn more about your soil.
Lasagna beds need not, and should not, be turned in, but you do need to get lots of organic matter into your soil. Some places in Texas I have done that simply by piling organic matter on the soil and let the soil bacteria work it in. You can also grow cover crops and cut or topple them as a mulch, the current issue of Organic Gardening magazine has an article about doing that (Pay Dirt, page 62).

Kimmsr has sound garden suggestions to get you growing again.

It may sound simple, but adding lots of different organic matter does improve the soil whether you till it in or just layer over. Depends on how quickly you want to plant & how much work you want to do.

I've never had to cook a lasagna garden before planting. The worms would also die & I want them working through the materials. If I need to keep the bed moist I've used burlap bags from a coffee roaster. Call ahead & inquire about picking them up.

You also don't need to wait to plant, but if you do the soil will be ready for you.

Used coffee grounds are free & easy to accumulate from St*rbucks if you have a store near your travels. I've read caution about using a lot of it, but I've not had a problem when used as part of the lasagna mix.

Another material cautioned about using is hay sweepings, but it's in good supply at our local feed store & absolutely free, so I've used it many times & as long as I keep it in the bottom layers have no trouble with the grain sprouts.

Many gardening books say you have to till, but there are others who advocate no till & both work - just depends on how much you also want to work.

Here is a link that might be useful: Interbay Mulch

Not mentioned yet is compost tea. I have had great results using compost tea which will help provide the soil with what it needs and speed up the proccess.

Compost tea adds bacteria and fungi to the soil, but if that soil has very little organic matter they will have nothing to live on so adding compost tea without adding organic matter is pretty much a waste of time and energy. Once adequate amounts of organic matter are in the soil compost tea may help get an active Soil Food Web working a bit faster then otherwise would happen.

I believe in no till. Lasagna gardening works, I have done it many times. I have never done soil testing, although I guess I should. My mixed borders do great; might have better harvests, but I do fine. I just believe in organic matter, composting and mulching.
The smaller the organic matter (like shredded leaves and grass clippings) the faster it will all break down and make good beds. I generally mix in bags of what I call "dirt" which I usually buy "compost" or "humus" or some such and not "top soil" if I don't have enough of my own compost. I do not have rocky soil but I definitely have hard clay which literally took an axe to break up if dry. Over few years it has gotten to be very good soil. I have also found that by using organic methods, I have very few pests. I do things to attract birds and toads or lizards if you have them. Shrubs to nest in, feeders, water, etc. And no chemicals to kill them. Really it is amazing how few pests I have. If you are planting veggies, you can also plant herbs and flowers amongst them, or if doing flower or mixed border, do variety of plantings, and some natives if you can. Things will get better as you go. Read more about lasagna gardens, mulching, and organic methods. Have fun.