Removing part of the lawn for veg patch

[Two_Sheds]

I'd only do that if it is obviously weed free.

Most lawn weeds will just die from being buried. A few will come back (dandelions, buttercups perhaps) but you can always take them out by hand later on.
It's much quicker than waiting for a stack to rot down

I'm finding the ground extremely compacted.

It will be if it's been a lawn for donkey's years. Get a garden fork and fork it all over really well, if you're not up to double-digging which would be the best practice

[esbo]

I have been coveting bits of my lawn to garden over the past few years, hard work I can assure you!!

You want a flattish shovel, not too wide. There seems to be a technique to it, you get the shovel in under the turf to get it started, once you get it in to the right depth you can kind of lever the turf up so that it is intact add the roots are being pulled up, you can hear this happening so you kind of have the ground below and the turf above and the stretchered roots in between, then you can jerk the spade forwards and chop the stretched roots.

So it is a kind of lever, lever, push motion. When you get it right you are never pushing the blade of the spade through earth (which makes it easier) you kind of lever the top turf up and then use the spade to chop the stretched roots, which is much less effort than pushing through soil and root together.

It's almost like putting a spade under the carpet and lifting the carpet up.

That is only half the job though as you need to dig down and break up that compacted earth, again there are techniques which make that easier.

I would dig out a big bit turn it over and chop it with the spade a bit like an axe the shock waves help loosen it up a bit making it easier to stick the spade in, which you waggle a bit loosening it further. Twisting the spade helps do the same, the looser you get it the easier it is to work.

I didn't use my fork as it kept bending a prong on it making it rather useless.

My tomato plants seemed to like the end result!!

[esbo]

Alternatively you could always tell the local police force that you believe a previous owner may have buried a dead body in the garden

[SP1965]

I have been coveting bits of my lawn to garden over the past few years, hard work I can assure you!!

You want a flattish shovel, not too wide. !!

I have been using a shovel that narrows at the base, i am sure there is a correct name for it. It is pretty hard work, I am about three quarters done now. I am nearing to where my greenhouse will go. I have a decision to make, to carry on digging or put greenhouse on a concrete base.

[esbo]

I have been using a shovel that narrows at the base, i am sure there is a correct name for it. It is pretty hard work, I am about three quarters done now. I am nearing to where my greenhouse will go. I have a decision to make, to carry on digging or put greenhouse on a concrete base.

Yes I suppose that will be fine, but what I mean by flat is not one which turns up at the edges like a coal shovel, but I suppose no gardening shovels are like that anyway.

I don't have a green house but I can't really seem much advantage in having a concrete base, indeed I would expect it might cause some problems.