2. Soil basics

Hard way:
Strip out grass (or can be dug in)
Loosen with spade
Till (picking out all the grass roots)

Do a soil test for Internation Ag Labs and get their recommendations
Buy and apply minerals and garden lime
Till in well composted manure to achieve organic matter target 

You soil at this point is balanced by likely very dead as far as soil microbes.
So during planting you will enrich the row.

Then during the year as root system expand, you will apply compost tea that is rich is more microbes. The plants require the microbes who in turn require root systems.


Easy way:
Weedwack any grass to ground level.
Cover with newspaper (3 sheets thick) or cardboard
Layer of soil and Mittleider starter fertilizer mix. Then layer of organic materials (weed-free preferably such as well aged horse manure, level mold, staw).
Assuming this is a raised bed, you must always maintain moisture level and nutrient flow until soil tests prove adequate (refer Mittleider method).