Earthworms like coffee, too!

So, I'm going back to the days in November, when my sisters Debbie, Vicki and I huddled in the storage room, dividing the tubers that had been dug on Russell Street aka "Dad's Garden" - The soil at that garden is extremely rich, black and loamy, moist and a great environment for earthworms. Conversely, the soil in my garden here at home is very sandy, somewhat depleted of nutrients, kinda puny overall. It has been an ongoing challenge each year to add amendments that will make my soil good enough for the dahlias I am trying to grow, and I rarely fail to take advantage of anything that I think might be a positive addition to my soil. So as we were working our way through the many clumps of tubers, we started collecting the rich dirt and worms in a separate box lined with a black plastic bag. Eventually we had two apple boxes full. My plan is to add that soil to my garden when I plant this spring, thus increasing my worm population and soil quality. When we finished our dividing, we simply closed the boxes, and set them in a corner of the cool storage area, and let them be. As the New Year began, it suddenly struck me that maybe I should be feeding and watering these little creatures - after all, I know how soil can dry out, and also that nothing can live forever without proper food and water. So I went down and checked on them, and sure enough, the top box of dirt appeared to be drying up. I had some coffee grounds and some cucumber peelings, which I spaded into the dirt, and then I misted both boxes thoroughly, and tucked the plastic sheeting snugly around the top, to retain the now moist climate. Ever since then, I have been trotting down to the storage room, across the frozen tundra that is my Eastern Washington backyard, and stirring in my morning coffee grounds, apple peels, orange rinds, egg shells, and whatever else I think the little wormies might like. "Feeding the worms" has become part of my morning ritual, and I find I am bonding with the little critters that will be part of my garden's future. Dahlia gardening is certainly a gift that keep on giving, as I peel back the layers of all that goes into a successful project. Next year, I think I will add a leaf composting station in the yard!