I did almost exactly that - lasagne gardening - but I dug down into the clay soil first to decompact it. Adding layers on top of compacted clay will not magically change it to clay loam as you end up with a layer where water pools. I found decompacting the clay did allow worms and roots to use that layer and it was far more loamy. I used a lot of cardboard and shredded paper - I remember emptying the paper and garden/food waste bins!

well being logical and more of a naturalist than a gardener I see it like this . in the time of life on this planet plants were one of the first life forms on this planet in its 5 billion years and considering they grow almost every wear on the planet including desert and very cold places wet and dry . then look how long humans have been un naturally digging soil over for a few thousand then the logic can only be that you can definatly do this . you should look at what you can do with clay soil . have a look in peoples gardens and look at wild land trees etc . most lush jungles grow on the very top of the soil like the amazon . that's why when they cut the jungle down it wont come back because they take up all the nutriants which arnt replaced by dead leaves and animal droppings . ponds and bog plants work well too .

I have been doing lasagna gardening in my cottage type garden for years. Primary reason was that I too had heavy clay soil. In my situation I would make a mounds ( circular or lengthwise) from bagged mulch. Each mound would be two our three bags worth. Then I would form a depression in the mulch with a hoe, circular in the round one or trench like in the lenghtwise mound. Into these depressions in my " pots made of mulch, I would place good soil bagged or otherwise. Then once done, I would place my chosen flower seed, bulb or tuber. At the end of the growing season I would pull out the annuals or dig out the tubers such as canna, flatten it out a bit and start out over next year doing the same thing thereby continuing to build up my garden bed getting farther away from that layer of clay. If you go to my photo section almost all you see, both annual and perennial was planted this way. Alsohaves old just pile out a bag or wheelbarrow or two of soil, flattened it out a bit smacking it with a flat shovel, sprinkled or placed seed on the flat top and then added a layer of soil of appropriate depth on top of the seed, again smacking the top down flat and that's it. This is great if you want differing sections of plants, flowering or otherwise in your garden. Alas, due to age and illness, even this very easy method of gardening is becoming difficult for me but please give this method a try, I think that you will be pleased with the results.

Taurman - you're already on the right track: no need to dig at all, just mulch thickly. Good luck.

I am not a digger. I plant so that there is no room left for digging. I mulch in the spring. My friend Barbara does a lot of digging and uses up all her energy doing it. I just dig holes and plant where possible. I have a very mature garden tho'.

Thank you all, very reassuring, felt a little guilty as thought I was taking shortcuts but as some say their gardens haven't suffered so expect mine will be none the worse and I will probably enjoy it more as will not be attending to my back ache. BW

your welcome