Effectiveness of diatomaceous earth against earthworms, if any, is at best transient. Probably a waste of good money. Most earthworms prefer soils of neutral to slightly acidic pH (6.0-9.0), although some prefer more acidic conditions. As I understand it, mosses prefer growing on firmly packed acidic soils with a pH between 5.0 and 5.5. Perhaps you can make a moss garden less attractive by creating an "island" of more acidic soil, optimum for mosses but less so for earthworms. However, acidiying the soil for the mosses/earthworms may be detrimental to other plants in that spot (e.g., the tree your mosses are growing under). There are no magic bullets. Gathering earthworms by hand and removing them, poisoning them, etc., is going to be a lot of work/expensive with no result in the long run. If the environment is desirable for the worms, their population will grow to the sites carrying capacity. If you can modify the environment so it is less desirable for earthworms but good for what you are trying to grow, then you have a chance. If you are in the northeast, the worms you may be struggling with aren't the introduced european lumbricids, but asian earthworms. These are very different beasts. They overwinter in the northeast as eggs that hatch out in the spring, develop to maturity and die in the winter. You can recognize them by having the clitellum (the swollen ring of segments on adults) further forward than on lumbricids, and they are EXTREMELY active -- they can flip right out of your hand if you pick them up. They tend not to burrow into the mineral soil, but burrow through and decompose the organic/litter layer. In Pennsylvania, there are reports of them hurting nursery operations by getting into containers of perennial plants and literally eating up the soilless potting media. No know solution.

The first ones are, I think, on my hydrangeas - don't know what they are but they're everywhere! They have little bodies colored like yellow jackets and back legs like a cricket?? Weird.

Received my seeds today! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you Kamil and everyone! I'm just about to go start mine! I even got my favorite color, how's that for cool! Maybe we could do a swap based on color next time...Hm, I might have to start one of those based on purple.... :0) Thanks a bunch guys/gals it was fun!

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I should have included a bit of back information that would better give orientation about my overall objectives. This first year or two, my main objective is to define the borders of the porch for my two large dogs. Until now, we had a pad and grass up to the pad (pad is the same pre- and post- porch construction) and they could exit the pad anywhere. Now, I want them to get used to exiting the pad onto the sidewalk in the center, because elsewhere will now be beds (and mud and mess and plants to be stomped). That's why I've bombed the front with the cinnamon ferns, to make a sort of visual railing while the dogs re-learn their exit, and while the beds age in with better soil and I get some other plants going (hostas, etc.). For the first year or two. It will be no problem to move the ferns around the corner when that time comes. I've always wanted a mass of ferns on this eastern facing side: My second objective is to create a streamlined mow line. The grass is maintained with a 60 inch deck mower so whatever bed edge I develop needs to allow the mower to move along it easily (I guess rather than undulating what I was trying to get to was smooth curves rather than corners, for mowing purposes). Third objective is LEAST maintenance from a hand weeding perspective. I know it won't be zero, but I'd like to have it controllable without being consuming. Fourth objective is "pretty." I'm not bothered with "curb appeal" in general as the only viewers are anyone coming up the driveway; this is not seen from the street. Eventually, I would like to grow and develop in a pretty foundation border. I got the ferns cheap and they will help my first objective. As I can, I will add more plants and soil amendments, so that is what I'm asking for - where do I EVENTUALLY want to go with this, etc. I appreciate all your inputs! Please add as you have thoughts!