Making new borders, digging up lawn, am I doing it the best way

[Dr Pips]

Hi,

Moved into a new house with no borders. What I've done is marked them out, dug up the lawn and turned it over. I've then covered it with black membrane. I'm going to leave it for a couple of weeks, take the membrane up, build up the sides using fence posts laid down (cheaper than sleepers) then stick a tonne of topsoil down. Then I'll put the membrane back down and plant into this. Will this be ok, of am I likely to be haunted by the grass?

Thanks

[WendyC]

Unless the grass contained couch grass lifting the turf will be enough. Couch grass roots are white and sort of wiry. I personally wouldn't bother with the fence posts but would dig in some organic matter and plant into that. What did you do with the turf? Stacked and left for about a year it makes excellent topsoil. What are you going to grow in the beds and why the membrane?

[Jungle Jane]

I don't have edging,I just cut the edge once a year,grass has never haunted me I like the natural flow of grass next to soil,depends if you want an architectural design. Fence posts might rot? Woodlice & slugs could be a problem with the wood & membrane. It's good to let birds have a wander around the soil,finding slug eggs etc...

[Tomatoe]

I don't have edging,I just cut the edge once a year,grass has never haunted me I like the natural flow of grass next to soil,depends if you want an architectural design. Fence posts might rot? Woodlice & slugs could be a problem with the wood & membrane. It's good to let birds have a wander around the soil,finding slug eggs etc...

This is exactly what we did, my father in law did suggest we got some lawn edgers to minimize the need to trim it often.

[Dr Pips]

It's more to be able to build up the level of soil and be able to get some decent muck in. It's a new house, and hasn't been dug before, and even taking up the lawn I was getting huge half bricks and what not.
I haven't removed the turf, just turned it upside down and covered with the membrane.

[Two_Sheds]

dug up the lawn and turned it over. I've then covered it with black membrane.

It's more usual to do it t'other way around: water the area really well, then cover the area with membrane/cardboard to kill the weeds/grass and encourage worm activity, then dig into it.

If you're in a hurry, just turn the grass upside down and plant into it right away