The boys know worms are healthy for a garden. According to the website harvesttotable.com, worms do the following:

• Earthworms burrow through the soil creating space for air to reach plant roots.
• Earthworms create tunnels that allow rain and irrigation water to penetrate the soil.
• Earthworms break up hardpan—dense soil that is inhospitable to plant roots. Earthworms can burrow to as deep as 6 feet in the soil.
• Earthworms leave behind excrement or castings containing from 5 to 11 times the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium they have ingested.

Etc.

So, today when I was digging holes in the yard to plant some lilies, I yelled inside the house and told the boys to come out and search the clumps for worms for their gardens. Jude sprinted to the door with a panicked excitement on his face; I think he was afraid they’d slither away and he LOVES worms.

As I unearthed, the boys collected and tossed the wigglers into their gardens. Jude collected over 20, and Rex collected over 10. Morris grabbed what he could.