not at all bonkers S, your soil receipe is superb. Putting the freshest material in first, then the mature 6 yr material, cover with topsoil & your ready to plant with the seasons. You might want to cover the finished ground with plastic sheeting till the warmer weather, acts as a weed suppressant & warms the soil in advance. You will be able to plant stuff this Spring.

Thanks Bampy! I'm getting out there whilst the sun is shining and getting on with it!

Hmm, not sure I agree with Bampy there. If you use old vegetation from your pond, you're effectively building a compost heap. Uncomposted leaves break down differently from other vegetation, and should really be composted separately. I'd be inclined to compost the vegetation from the pond first, and make leaf mould from leaves collected this year separately, before adding to your new bed. Any decaying matter eats up nitrogen, which will be stolen from any veggies you might want to grow in the area next year if you don't have the stuff composted first.
The contents of your compost bins and the leafmould you already have will be fine to use immediately.

i would use leaf supressing membrane to as moon grower so rightly pointed out so the soil can breath but still keep warm etc .

I agree with Bamboo and 'think' it was weed suppressing membrane rather than leaf NP.

The fresh vegetation at the bottom of the heap will rot down and become compressed, causing the surface soil to sink. If you want to do it this way, Sue, then I would leave it for a year to settle. The alternative would be to compost the leaves and pond vegetation separately before building the veggie plot; either way a years wait.
I don't think that I would cover the plot with any weed suppressant. It is only a small area so any weeds can easily be pulled out or hoed off. If you suppress the weeds the seed will still be there when you come to garden the plot.

all good points to consider Sunny, I would'nt want to grow root veg the first year but salad stuff to get you going for Spring /Summer 2011 has to be worth a try. I would certainly pop a runner bean wigwam in as they might surprise you with their preference for all that moisture at the lower level. Nothing to lose & certainly will be in good heart for the following growing seasons. I suggest the cover as a means to warm the soil alittle as well as weed deterent.
Have a look in my photo's as I grow all my veg in raised beds. The long row is this Spring's new beds with all manner of different materials thrown in, newer stuff making up the lower level, older stuff & topsoil on top. Good luck.

thats what i ment moon grower i do apologise .

Ach no problem NP!

lol x .