earthworms are the ultimate "if you build it they will come"

This patch is part of an area of badly disturbed ground. Last summer it was bare clay, hard as a rock, so what you see is a huge improvement.

Each spot where we planned to plant this spring got a nice pile of mulch around January (Sept would have been even better!) or at the very least a piece of cardboard. The cardboard looks ridiculous - messy ugly shapes all over the land - but lifting it up is a delight: earthworms and nice moist ground.