I Like...  Worms

Not all worms mind, those in the genus Lumbricus  to be precise, the common earthworm. Charles Darwin spent years writing a whole book about them that ended up hundreds of pages long ("The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms") so there must be something more to them than meets the eye.

Worms have helped keep our agricultural system going for centuries. They are a slow silent plough that turns the soil over. They bring down organic matter from the surface of the soil and mix it with what lies below. They smooth the landscape. England's  green and pleasant land with verdant rolling pastures is in no short measure due to the work over countless years of countless earthworms (and the same for Scotland, Wales and Ireland too).

The presence of worms is an indication of a healthy soil. Worms have far too much self respect to live in gooey organic deficient muck (muck as in rubbish, not proper muck as in manure - they love that). As well as enriching the soil and mixing it worms also aerate it with their movements and the burrows that they dig.

There are some poor deluded souls who apply vermicides (worm killing chemicals) to actually get rid of their worms. They consider the casts unsightly. Worm casts indicate healthy and active worms, your soil couldn't have a better conditioner. The soil that makes up worm casts is the finest graded material you could ever wish for. Old recipes for seed compost advise adding worm casts, an excellent idea if an awful lot of work going around and gathering them.

If you have worm casts on your lawn and don't want them, then don't reach for the chemicals - invest in a besom. A traditional birch broom like a witches broomstick, use it to scatter the casts, you could just use a bamboo cane or even your foot. But please don't damage the worms, they really are your garden's friend. It's just a shame that they're not cute and furry with big soulful eyes.