Worms

Worms are the unsung heroes of a garden.  They aerate the soil, help decompose organic materials, their excretions add to create healthy soil, and that is only a little of the many beneficial qualities they add to gardens. I believe that the more worms there are in a garden, the healthier the soil, and the better the bounty (e.g. bigger and better fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc.).

How many worms do you see in this picture?  I count at least seven.

Since moving to my house, I've noticed that the area near my maple trees are chock full of worms.  I think much of it has to do with the fact that the fallen leaves help to provide food for the worms, which the worms turn into compost and create healthy soil.  When I first started gardening, the soil near my raised beds was lean and didn't have that many worms.  With all the soil amendments I've made over the last several years (in addition to just not raking the fallen leaves in autumn), the soil looks a lot darker and is full of worms (as can be seen in the picture above).

Adding compost to the lean soil, which is located next to the garage.

My other gardening area is next to my garage, in which I only started my garden beds there around spring 2013.  Grapes once grew in that spot, but I removed the grape vines, wanting to use the land to grow more vegetables.  The soil is also lean, sandy, and I have only seen a couple of worms during the entire time I worked the soil.  I add compost and more organic materials to the soil each year (notice how dark the compost looks as compared to the sandy-looking soil) and I'm noticing more worms now, but the soil still needs more work.  The fruits and vegetables I get from that area is decent, but I know it could be better.  Slowly but surely, that area will be much more bountiful once the soil and the worms, are restored to that area.

What are your thoughts about worms?