I use compost because my plants grow about 2-3 times healthier this way. Before you let this scare you off if you are not already a gardener compost can be as simple as a small pile in the corner of your yard where you put your kitchen food scraps (think whole foods only like egg shells, banana peels, veggie waste, etc) and then you pile on leaves as you clean up your yard, grass clippings if your yard is not treated with weed killer, etc. There are so many different recipes for the perfect compost but I am here to tell you I do not adhere to any of them. I simply pile on what I have in no particular order, turn it over with a shovel 3-4 times a year and viola! The most rich, black dirt you will ever use!!! (you know when the compost is done and ready because it doesn't smell like anything but fresh dirt) this process does take about 8-12 months so just be thinking for next year and use dirt if that is what you have.
So, as you see it is just dirt, newspaper and bean seeds (oh and a shovel for those of you who are in to technicalities).
When you have your spot picked out leave the newspaper folded and about 3-5 pages thick. Then you simply overlap it into a strip in the yard.