[Jaybees]

 Hi

I have a small backyard surrounded by fence on all 3 sides and covered in flagstones.
I was thinking of removing flagstones from an area to make room for raised beds. The area where I get good sun most of the day is about 2.5m in length and  1.2m in width.
My current thinking is to take out the flagstones and clear off any cement or rubble debris. Create edging with wood planks and adding compost and top soil.  Is there something else I should consider before I can start using the area for sowing/planting

Would appreciate some advise as I’m still new to gardening and rubbish at DIY.

Thanks
Jay

[Yorkie]

That sounds like a good start.  I'd have a little investigation into what's underneath an initial flagstone before you start the whole project, though.  If you have a decent depth of soil, once dug over, then you may not need edged beds or raised beds.  Top soil can be expensive, so try to use what you've already got depth-wise.

I'd also consider what the pH of the soil will be.  Cement can be quite alkaline, so once you've dug over / added compost and top soil, it may be worth getting a test tube pH kit and testing a few bits of the soil.  You're aiming for slightly acidic to neutral (in the range of about 6 - 7.5, probably, ideally).

[Jaybees]

Many thanks for the advise. Good point for checking the soil ph level, will keep that in the to do list.

Cheers
Jay