Each year, residents of Pepperell and the surrounding towns look forward to one of the
largest garden club plant sales in the area.
We offer a wide variety of members’ donated perennials, shrubs, trees, groundcovers, and
native plants at very reasonable prices. We also offer herbs, annuals, hanging planters, and
vegetable plants.
ASIAN JUMPING WORMS have been found in the area. We will be offering perennials at this year’s
sale. These worms are different from earth worms in that they wiggle rapidly and have a very light-colored
ring that goes all the way around their body closer to the head than earth worms’ rings. These worms
destroy nutrition in the top few inches of soil, leaving the soil looking like coffee grounds. Without nutrition
in the soil, the plants may not survive. The eggs will hatch in the April/May time period and will continually
grow, from 1″ up to 8″ long, until the soil freezes and kills the adults.
If you are concerned about jumping worms, we encourage you to remove plants from the pots you purchase
and gently rinse away all the dirt (bare rooting) and plant in clean/sterilized soil.
There is much information online regarding the Asian jumping worm. The Garden Club Federation of
Massachusetts recommends a presentation by Blake Dinis, Entomologist with PlymouthCounty (MA) Extension Service.