Here's what we're planning to add:
-Leaves
-Compost (whatever is in the compost bin that we inherited from previous owners)
-Grass clippings
-Pachysandra (we dug up a bunch 5 weeks ago and it's been sitting in plastic tubs in our garage with the goal of killing it to include in our compost. We're not sure it's dead yet. Has some clumps of soil, too. There are about 3/4 trashcans worth of stuff)
-English ivy (we've got a big bed that we want to grind up with our mower)

So, we're thinking of putting the pachysandra and ivy under the cardboard, then putting the other things on top. How does this sound? Is it asking for trouble to include the ivy? Could we put the pachysandra and ivy on top of the cardboard and be fairly certain they won't regrow?

Do we need to worry much about the proportions of these things?

Can we put this on the ground now, expect that some magic decomposition will happen over winter, and then plant in the spring?

Can we continue to put leaves and grass clippings at the very top as we collect them in the next few weeks, or should those be lower down?

How important is the top off with mulch?

Thanks in advance!

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

the layering is a much less fussy way to garden & saves your back. Plants root through the layers into your existing soil. The persistent plants you mentioned might come through the cardboard. I don't think you can mow over ivy to kill it. The fragments might also root, so be careful. I think it's best put into black plastic bags to rot in time. You might consult the master gardener program in your county for advice in your climate.

layer at least 6" over your soil - we've gone 2' or more then spread out a bit more in spring to level it some, planted perennials & shrubs, & by fall the bed has settled more. By end of 2 years those gardens are almost level to existing soil now & plants have thrived! It does work!

add what you can as you have it, keep moist, if a dry climate cover to keep from blowing around (tarps, upside down carpet, burlap bags, etc.)

include used coffee grounds gathered free from coffee shops for more greens to go with all the fall leaves now

expect it to shrink by late spring when soil warms up a bit again volume will be much less - maybe 1/3 to 1/4 what you put on now in fall (you can heap it up higher in middle to get some volume composting happening & spread it out a bit more in spring once composted)

For vegetable beds usually use what you mentioned as layers, but start off with manure + bedding on top of cardboard or existing vegetable bed soils + used coffee grounds. Takes a few years to really loosen up compacted soil. A bit faster if you fork it over in spring. The no-till methods work best if you have at one time loosened compacted soil & double dug the beds, keep permanent paths, etc. Dig it once & you won't have to dig it again.

Don't be discouraged & grow easy crops your 1st year! There's always an other garden season to plant something new.

I would go ahead and try smothering the ivy. That is a lot easier than weeding the stuff out. When smothering weeds I always double or triple layer the cardboard and overlap it well. In my experience smothering weeds is better started in the Spring. This is because, in our long wet winters, the cardboard will soften and break down enough for vigorous weeds to grow through once the Spring rolls around. Plants go dormant anyway through the winter, so you won't be killing them - you want to smother and deprive them of light during the growing season.

Right now I'm creating a large new bed that is going to be a nursery area for seedlings (tree, shrub, and perennial). The first layer is large pieces of cardboard, and on top of that grass clippings and leaves so far. Anything can go on! I expect the cardboard will soften enough to easily make holes and start planting in the Spring.

I don't usually plant in a lasagne bed right away, but other people do. A lot of settling takes place and plants' roots need to make firm contact with soil at the appropriate level.