Worm Bins and Unwise shopping

We were debating on what sort of food digester to have for our scraps. We don't have a garbage disposal at the new house since we're on septic, and anyway now that we have a garden it'd be nice to put that waste to good use. We were thinking of either a homemade green cone or a worm bin. In the end, after looking at online instructions and asking people on the Alternative Kitchen Garden's facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=6726001735) we decided to keep our compost pile for grass clippings and whatnot and have a worm bin. We're picking up the little wigglies today from a lady on craigslist and we've got the bedding shredded, all we need to do it wet it down. Some banana peels and coffee grounds are lying in wait for their first meal too. Josh can't wait for the little guys, it's like I gave him permission for 500 new pets.

While I went about searching for worms yesterday, it appears that I forgot that was the whole point of running to the nursury. I told myself that I had as many plants as I could maintain in my first year garden, but apparently I forgot all about that the second I walked into Molbak's. There were tomatillos, jalapenos, artichokes, and hostas all for very reasonable prices. So now, the four very large pots that had contained my ash tree and rhododendrons at my apartment are now lined up along the south wall of my house with their new charges. The hosta's under the cedar tree, as he'd probably keel over on the south wall.

Molbak's had this potting soil that has bat guano and is advertised to contain no less than 15% chicken manure, so I'd better get the biggest tomatillos in the world out of this experiment. I love tomatillos, I love any sort of green Mexican sauce made from tomatillos, so in my own defense I couldn't resist. When we got back and came to our senses, we realized we didn't have red worms for the bin Josh was constructing, so I went out in search. There are two pretty massive gardens within walking distance of my house, so I grabbed some fancy terracotta pots for barter and went out. The first garden is attached to a house that was just sold, and they didn't have any worms. The second house didn't keep worms either, but somehow I was gifted a cherry tomato plant and a purple heirloom tomato plant. Now I already have 5 tomato plants, but who could resist a purple heirloom tomato?! If anything, its seeds will give me good leverage in a seed swap next year. And I love tomato sauce, tomato salsa, etc. and I know how to can, so they won't go to waste.

In the end I came back worm free, but craigslist had a couple of people selling composting worms. One of them is nearby, and now we're back where I started.