Using boxes to create a new flower bed

I have had a great level of success using boxes as a liner for my garden beds.  

1. First we remove the grass.  You probably don't have to do this step, but my husband likes to, so I let him.
2. I then cover the entire area of the new bed with cardboard boxes.  The cardboard boxes act as a natural weed barrier, and also help to keep the soil underneath moist.  I then really soak the boxes with water.  This makes them easier to dig into later.
3. I then add a layer of compost (or mulch) over the cardboard boxes and water again.
4. Your area is now ready for plants!

You can also this with thick layers of newspaper.  I used to do this, but I have a robin family that has made their home in my yard.  As soon as I covered the newspaper with my compost they would pull the newspaper up looking for worms.  So I switched to cardboard.