Lasagna Gardening

I found this in our local paper and thought I'd share:

Lasagna Gardening is a method of layering organic matter, watering alternate layers, and planting immediately. The earthworms do all the work and transform the layers into a very healthy soil, where plants grow as if they were on hormones!

The secret is to alternate a layer of brown matter, like leaves, barn litter and earth, and a green layer using grass clippings, organic kitchen waste and green garden waste, watering these and sprinkling peat moss in between the layers.

You can create a new flower or vegetable garden right over grass or weeds by simply spreading a minimum of 6 layers of newspaper (no glossy pages) on top of the grass or weeds. Water the newspaper so it doesn't fly away, then start layering. Do not water the peat moss layer because it is powdery and will fly away as you spray. Here is an example of the recipe:

1. Newspaper on top of the grass. If you have extreme weeds you can use cardboard. Water.
2. Sprinkle peat moss, just enough to cover.
3. Shredded cedar mulch, again just enough to cover. Water.
4. Peat moss.
5. Kitchen waste: fruit & vegetable scraps, eggshells, tea bags, coffee grinds. No bones, fish, meat scraps or fats! Water.
6. Peat moss.
7. Chopped leaves (do this on your driveway and not on the grass if you want a nice lawn). Use whole leaves if you are too busy - it will still work. Water.
8. Peat moss.
9. Grass clippings (about 1 inch). Water.
10. Peat moss.
11. Compost layer (about 2 inches). Water.
12. Four (4) inches of earth. I (the author of this article) use 3 in 1 mix soil (sorry, I'm not sure what she means by this).
13. Make a hole for each flower and sprinkle Myke (mycorrhizae) a bacteria that gives tiny extra roots that are able to give more water and mineral nutrients to the plants.
14. Plant!

Other ingredients that can be added: rock dust, ashes, hay, mushroom manure, sawdust,animal manure,seaweed, straw.

Well, there you have it. I (me, Wendy) haven't tried it yet. Sounds like a lot of work, but I'm sure once you get going it will be fun. I live in horse country, so barn litter will be easy to get (unless the horse farmers use it all). On second thought, it may smell bad. Forget it!
I have no idea what the Myke - bacteria to produce extra roots is, or if you can buy it at a nursery. Will have to do some research.

Would like to know if anybody's heard of this. I know it works for the author, because I've seen her garden and it's luscious!
Happy Gardening all.