I agree that leaf mulch brings worms like nothing else. However, take heart. If you apply organic matter and keep the soil reasonably moist the worms come. I mulch my beds with leaves in fall, and in spring they are literally crawling with worms. My clay tends to be pretty wet in spring too, and the worms are happy as can be. They always become less apparent in the drier summer months. By late last summer, the drought with a foot rainfall deficit had definitely taken it's toll. My worms were gone, probably deep in the soil in search of moisture. A network of huge tunnels remained, but worms in the top 10 inches or so were few and far between. If you did your soil examination 6 months ago when you moved in, in the midst of that drought, that might have been a big reason for for lack of worms. I suggest you take another close look in spring and see if it looks better. Hopefully you have had some drought relief since fall? Add whatever organic matter you have access to: leaves, grass clippings, coffee grounds, compost, whatever you can get. Karen

Thanks for the advice. I don't know what seed mix the landscaper put down, but most of that got washed away with the rains. About 3 weeks after that, I raked parts of it over and spread the "dry site, short prairie mix" from Ion Exchange in Harpers Ferry, IA. It includes Wildflowers Anise Hyssop, Black-eyed Susan, Brown-eyed Susan, Butterfly Milkweed, Canada Milkvetch, Columbine, Dotted Mint, Evening Primrose, Golden Alexanders, Heartleaf Alexanders, Hoary Vervain, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Large-flowered Beardtongue, Leadplant, Narrow Purple Coneflower, Ohio Spiderwort, Old Field Goldenrod, Ox-eye Sunflower, Pale Purple Coneflower, Partridge Pea Prairie Alumroot, Prairie Cinquefoil, Prairie Wild Rose, Purple Prairie Clover, Rattlesnake Master, Rosinweed, Rough Blazingstar, Roundheaded Bushclover, Royal Catchfly, Showy Goldenrod, Stiff Goldenrod, Upland White Aster, White Prairie Clover, Wild Bergamot, Wild Lupine, Yellow Coneflower Grasses Little Bluestem, Sideoats Grama Now the area is mostly grass (the short lawn kind) and some taller grasses. There are about a dozen poppies, some small white flowers that look like forget me nots, and some that look like a purple clover. I do plan on having it mowed down in autumn, but should I reseed then as well? Sorry I am not better with the digital camera to give you a look. Thanks again!

Those are so cool looking. A friend of mine gave me some seed a couple years ago. I found it the other day - tucked away in a "safe place." So I think I will try planting it next spring. They reseed easily so you'll have more next spring.

Geranium dissectum possibly.