What friend of the garden is skinny and wiggly?

Earthworms, of course. It hard not to smile when you see them slithering in the dirt because you know they are working for you by aerating the soil, providing nutrients to plants through their castings and working to bring organic material on top of the soil down to the root zones where it can do the most good.

If you want more of a good thing, you might join the ranks of those who buy hungry worms to eat food scraps and make a rich compost in the process.

All you need to get started is a bin, a pound or so of red wiggler worms, some shredded newspaper and a little uneaten food from your table.

You can use a plastic container meant to hold a sweater with a tight fitting lid, said Sherri McCalla, a n employee of the Memphis Botanic Garden who gave a program in worm composting. Keep in mind that red wiggler worms like the top 6 inches of soil so a shallow container is better than a deep one.

Shred newspapers into thin strips and moisten with water. Do not use slick advertising sheets. The paper should not be dripping wet. A handful or two of crushed dried leaves can also be added.

Bury some chopped or small bits of food scraps in the newspaper.

Sherri said: Do not use meat or dairy products, salty foods such as chips or olives and no chemically preserved wood products.

You may also avoid strong smelling foods such as cabbage and broccoli. Citrus are too acidic for the worms.

Poke lots of small air hole in the lid for the box.

Buy a box of red wiggler worms from a bait shop and add them to the bin and let the worm work begin.

As a general rule you will need two pounds of worms for every pound of garbage you put in the bin.

Joe Croom of Martin, Tenn., is hoping for help on the following question.

We have a boundary of about 400 – 450 feet in a field next to our pond that we want to screen from our neighbors.

We’ve planted one row of loblolly pines and are wondering what to plant next to them to ensure privacy. We love winter honeysuckle as well as Fruitlandi elaeagnus and were wondering about either of them or both (alternating the plants).

Do you or your readers have comments on how those would work or other ideas that would be fairly economical?

Joe:

I'm going to let readers have a go at this one. Please respond if you have good ideas for screening shrubs.

Chris

Every year the Perennial Plant Association polls its members to find a plant that requires low maintenance, exhibits multi-seasonal interest and is suitable to many climate types to become its Perennial Plant of the Year.

The designee for 2007 is Walkers Low, a compact catmint that blooms from May until frost if it is clipped back by about two-thirds after the initial flowers fade.

The silver-green foliage of Walkers Low is crinkled and aromatic. Its small blue-purple flowers cluster on arching stems that reach 36 inches tall. The plant spreads to 30 or 36 wide.

All of the 20 species of catmint (nepeta) that are commonly grown in gardens contain the chemical, nepetalactone, which is attractive to some cats. Cats become especially intoxicated by catnip, Nepeta cataria and will damage plants by rolling and writhing in it.

Walkers Low, a selection of Nepeta x faassenii first found in Ireland, does not seem inspire extreme feline activity. But if you have an outdoor cat that is bonkers for catmint, plant or don’t plant it accordingly.

The three cats I have shared space with over the years have not been particularly attracted to catnip. About 50 to 60 percent of all cats do respond to it, according to several organizations for cat lovers.

Catmints have been favorites of herb gardeners who often pair them with other gray and silver-leaf plants such as sages, thymes and lamb’s ears. The leaves, which have a lemon-mint flavor, can be brewed into teas thought to ease cold symptoms.

They are often grown with roses to hide their unattractive lower stems. The PPA suggests planting them near the lemon-yellow Moonbeam coreopsis and Moonshine yarrow; deep purple May Night salvia or the purple-pink dianthus, Firewitch.

Walkers Low makes a great border along a walkway and is also good in containers. Bees and butterflies are attracted to catmints while damaging deer and rabbits are not.

Catmints like 4 to 6 hours of sunlight, well drained neutral soil. Walke’s Low has few pests or diseases. Once established it is drought-tolerant.

Walkers Low will be available at the Memphis Botanic Garden’s spring plant sale April 13-15.