The cardboard on the soil will keep any weeds that try to grow there from getting the sunlight they need to grow, and that usually will kill those weeds so yo want to put the cardboard, or newspapers, on the soil and cover them with the leaves and wood chips, to hold the newspaper or cardboard in place. Putting the leaves down first could allow some light to reach the weeds resulting in them growing even more vigorously than before. A good, heavy mulch does not "smother" "weeds" if deprives them of the sunlight all plants need to grow.

If you find you have an area that is good enough to plant you could start you garden using some of the fall gardening techiques. Some of the cole crops, carrots, and turnips can be planted soon for a fall/winter/spring crop. Some will grow over the winter if planted late enough, spinach, and provide a early treat to new gardeners.

I know Territorial Seeds lists a Winter Garden Collection that you can use as suggestions for seeds. You might be able to get a group of gardeners to help this fall if they can see something quickly and give themselves something to look forward to next spring.

For cheap seeds for your group start looking for hardware and other places that may still have seeds left from this spring. I have often picked up seeds very cheap or since this is for a community garden you may be able to get them real cheap by asking the manager. Good luck on your project.

FYI depending on your area and your feelings you might ask in your local paper for people to bring their bagged leaves to your site. Gives you extra and who knows maybe donations of other things.

Thank you, I found someone today who will drop off a load of wood chips. I can also get compost from the recycle center and grass clippings from the golf course if I get my hands on a truck. Also, some people from the seed exchange forum has been nice enough to pledge us some seeds, and a local nursery said we could have tomato plants next season. So mainly my concern right now is a water source. I'm thinking rain barrels, but they seem very expensive. I might just try and use a really long hose from the main building.

Heather, I think your idea of starting a community garden is a wondeful idea and you deserve huge credit for getting it off the ground.

I am also a huge advocate of Lasagna Gardening. I am assuming you have read Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza, which is a great resource.

And the last thing I want to do is rain on your parade but I urge you to identify the weeds that you have before you go to all the trouble of covering then up. Reason being, lasagna gardening techniques will be no barrier at all in the long run to weeds such as Canada thistle, ground elder, briar, creeping bellflower etc.

The advice posted previously about starving out light works well on weed seeds but those weeds that have well established root structures will just run rampant under your defences and you will have twice as much work to do to get rid of them.

Consider posting pictures here of weeds that you can't identify and I am sure someone will recognise them.

I have recently discovered a product called EcoClear which is an organic acetic & citric acid based weedkiller. I can't vouch for it yet, but have just ordered some. It's a Canadian product, but it may be available in the US. If not, I am sure there are other organic weed control products out there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza