Question
I want to plant a shrub and flower garden over my grassed lawn. I do not want to dig up all the grass as it is too much work. My idea is to cover the grass with a light filter cloth and then six inches of topsoil and bark mulch and plant with the root in holes through the filter cloth. The filter cloth idea is to prevent the grass growing through and to allow water to drain through. Would this work or is there a better way to do this?
Thank you for your help.  

Answer
Anthony,

I'd stay away from that filter cloth. No kidding.

1.  There are several types of grass and weeds that will grow through it, (sad but true)
2.  It floats up sooner or later, so you're stuck trying to hide big flaps of cloth, which gets irritating fast, and looks bad,
3.  It keeps plants above it from establishing normal roots, so they are quick to dry out in warm weather.

The options I'd consider, if I didn't want to strip the sod off...

If you aren't opposed to sprays, use a broad spectrum herbicide and spray out the area you want to use.  Let it die, and after a week, if no rain, water it.  Get weed seeds to sprout, and then spray them out.  Wait another 2 or three weeks (depending on the spray you use), till, and plant.

Or,  if you have more time, cover the area with a dark tarp, or black plastic.  Make sure the edges are held down with bricks or something, and wait a couple months.  Lack of light and water, and the heat retained will kill the grass and weeds.  Remove the tarp when everything looks like it has given up, till and plant.  (This works better in warmer weather, takes longer in cold).

For what it's worth,
Mark in Portland