Make a garden bed, grow some food! A step by step guide :)

Yesterday I finally remembered to take my camera down to the yard & photograph the stages of prepping a veggie patch :p This is only one technique, it's a loose 'no dig' above ground style bed, it's one of the most common techniques used by Permie's cause it's quick, easy, cheap & it works! :)
So if you want to grow yourself some food check out these 4 easy steps to set up your own veggie patch ;)
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First of all, here are the materials you'll be needing-
*Something for hacking - I use a hand sickle, which we purchased from forestrytools.com.au, you can find them under 'fruit tools & grafting'
*Soil or Good quality organic compost - I used organic mushroom compost
*Lots of newspaper - For this small bed I used up 3 or 4 weekend papers 0_0
*Lots of organic mulch, any will do - I've been using organic pea straw mulch & it works beautifully :)
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I already had a crappy veggie bed set up here, but the same steps apply if you're starting from scratch. This is what it looks like to begin with... You can see it's all overgrown & messy (which isn't so bad :p) but not very productive, & therein lies the problem ':)
Get an idea of what size & shape you want, & mark it in if need be. I've used string, or sticks, or newspaper, whatever's handy, or I just wing it, which works fine too. Always remember to make the bed a comfortable size so it's easy to work, & consider things like strong winds, orientation to the sun, water, etc.
This bed is north facing at the top of a slope, so it will be a bit drier than others, & may be better suited to plants that don't require too much water :)
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My oh my what a mess :p but that's ok, nature know's what it's doing 'X) The stairs behind this particular bed are really handy for climbing plants, we attached some old chicken wire & it made a perfect climbing frame for beans. Look around & try to make the best possible use of everything around you ;)

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Step 1 - Chop & Drop.
Go to town on that stuff! Hack everything up nice & rough, & chuck it down. This green matter will all decompose & return nutrients to the soil, which will improve your veggie patch :) This technique should be used all the time, to continue building & improving your soil.
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I've chopped up old plants that were growing in the bed & laid them down too, but left any that were still productive.
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Step 2 - Add dirt/compost.
The thickness of this can vary, & depends what you want to grow & what you're starting on, for example if you're building one of these right on top of concrete (which can & has been done) you'll want this layer to be quite thick, but if you've already got decent soil below you can get away with less :)
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I pretty much just used what I had on hand. You have options at this stage, you can sprinkle down some old dry manure first, then soil, then well processed compost. In my case I just used organic mushroom compost, quick & simple :p If you like you could even build some kind of edging, using stones, logs, sleepers, whatever, but I would recommend a thick layer of newspaper first to help prevent unwanted plants taking over, also consider how the edging may affect the bed, ie. stones will gather & store heat, which may be a problem in hot dry areas, etc.
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Step 3 - Cover with newspaper, rinse & repeat.
Now cover the entire surface & edges with a good layer of newspaper, & lay it on nice & thick, at least 3 layers. Wetting it down as you go is highly recommended cause it'll help it all stay in place ;) Be sure to overlap really well so there are no gaps, plants are opportunists & they'll spring right through them! Layer it up, wet it down & you're ready for the final step :D
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I roughly worked around the existing plants & covered up around them as best as I could. I put scrap wood & a log on either end to hold the paper in place more & define the edges a bit :) This newspaper layer helps protect the soil, keeps moisture in, & creates a nicer environment for soil life to thrive.
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Step 4 - Lots of mulch!
The last step is the easiest to do, just cover the newspaper up with a good layer of mulch. Any mulch will do, we use organic pea straw mulch, & I personally prefer something with slightly shorter fibres, just cause it's easier to work with. The mulch layer also needs to be thick, at least half a foot all over. It's especially important to have a thick layer of mulch, because it also protects the soil, helps regulate temperature & holds moisture, if it's too thin it simply won't stand up to the sun & the veggie patch might suffer as a result. Once it's all covered give the whole bed a really good soaking & you're ready to sow some seeds & plant out seedlings! \[:D/
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I actually ran short of mulch ':D So mine isn't as thick as it should be, but you get the idea :p I'll post an update for this bed once things get growing a bit :) To plant it out just shimmy the mulch apart, poke a small hole in the newspaper, sow/plant whatever you like & cover back up with mulch. Easy! Time to plant some Autumn veg!

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I hope that gives you all some ideas for starting your own veg patch, the last thing I can suggest is to plant quite heavily, & interplant multiple plant varieties & types, there's strength in diversity! Try to avoid incompatible combinations though, for a rough idea you can take a look at this Companion Planting Guide. For more information about this type of thing, along with loads of other food & planet-wise philosophy, check out The Permaculture Research Institute of Australia.

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All the best everyone! :)