A: In this case, it is best to remove the grass first. You can remove turfgrass by hand with a shovel, but it’s so easy to rent a sod kicker from your local hardware store. If time is on your side, you can cover the area with plastic for several weeks to kill grass for easy removal by hand. Herbicides would not be our preferred method.

After the grass is removed, rent a tiller and work in compost at a rate of one cubic foot per ten square feet. Next, lay edging and then it’s time to plant!