Pete Landwehr from the Arlington Heights Garden Club says he found invasive Asian jumping worms in his compost bins. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com

For years, the Arlington Heights Garden Club’s plant sale featured homegrown plants.

It was a way to make money and improve their gardens.

“Perennials, when they are happy, they tend to spread and expand over time,” said Pete Landwehr, chairman of the club’s annual sale. So members dug up and split plants, such as hostas and astilbes, and put a price tag on them.

But not this year. And you can thank the Asian jumping worm for the change.

The invasive worm was found last year in at least 12 members’ yards, including Landwehr’s compost bins. Wanting to be good nature stewards, the club decided this year to follow horticulture experts’ adv

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