What kind of soil do you have already? When I lived in the SW area of Houston, we had a lot of gumbo. We had to mix sand in it to “lighten” it for anything to grow. It’s been years and years, but I remember having loads of sand delivered just to get a good foundation for the grass. And more sand mixed into the flower beds. And peat moss. And vermiculite.
The other soil around there that I remember is kaliche, but I didn’t have that, so I don’t know how to handle it. Link up with a garden club, and they will help you.
You can build a raised bed right on your ground and fill it and go from there. THe roots will eventually mix your additions with what’s underneath. You can make it go faster by turning what’s underneath first and then building the bed on top.
We used “untreated” cedar 6X2X8’s to make frames approx. 4X8’, (just use deck screws for the corners), dug the lawn and assorted rocks out of the base. We placed the frame over the bed. We made 4, and filled two with good soil and compost, and filled two with a mix of vermiculite, peat moss, and compost. I am happy with both types so far.
