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The Ice Plant Cometh

4/15/2018

22 Comments

 
Picture
I’ve been transplanting succulents. 
 
To be more precise, cuttings of ice plant—a ground cover so resilient that it’s used to landscape nearly every freeway in Southern California. 
 
And, thanks to all of this digging and watering and messing around in the dirt, I now understand why millions of people are hooked on gardening.    
 
First, though, it’s important to note that working the land, no matter how minor, isn’t my thing.  I’d rather binge watch an HBO series; bake a carrot cake, or check out a thrift store. 
 
I’m doing this project because it’s necessary.
 
It began with a wild rose bush that had grown so bushy and unwieldy that it had to be extricated from the long fence which separates my back yard from the street.  Some wood in the fence also needed replacing, so a few new boards and a few coats of stain were also part of the sprucing up.  The folks I hired got rid of the thorny tangle of shrubbery, and fixed the fence, too.  They did a great job.  But to do so, they took out several feet of ice plant.  
 
What was left behind was a large expanse of barren, mostly sandy soil.  And, thanks to the wonderful rains we’ve been having, the latter needed to be filled in to prevent mini-mudslides cascading into the street. 
 
Given that there’s already a blanket of ice plant in the area a few feet below the fence, sticking in new cuttings from this existing field was the best way to keep this from happening.   
 
I figured that I’d need a few dozen of these nearly-impossible-to-kill plants to complete the task. 
 
But as my work progressed, I saw that at least 100 of these babies were going to be needed to completely fill in the area.  Because I also know that this can’t be done in a day, or let’s face it, even in a month, I’m taking it 15 or so cuttings at a time.
 
The job begins with snipping the tops off of established ice plants, then putting those fat and strong stems in a couple of vases. After I’ve looked at them for a few days, I decide that it’s time to give them the dirt they deserve. 
 
So I fill our big plastic watering can; grab a rusty spade, and head to the sand. I dig one hole for each stem, and pour water into the empty space.  Next I place the cutting in the opening, making sure to gently cover and pat the area around it with the dirt I’ve just dug up.  Finally, I water again—in theory, this ensures that every baby ice plant is off to a great start.
 
I’ve transplanted about 50 cuttings so far, and since all are doing well, I guess I’m doing something right.  And, it makes me smile to see these positive results immediately. That’s something that never happens after turning in an article to a picky editor, or researching a true crime story for a TV show that won’t air until months later. 
 
Besides getting extra exercise and sunlight, there are other unexpected advantages to digging in the dirt—and they’re significant ones.     
 
A 2010 Dutch study found that those who spent a half hour gardening were happier than the control group that read books inside for the same amount of time.  More important, these gardening folks had measurably lower cortisol levels: the hormone that, when elevated, has been linked to learning disabilities, heart disease and obesity. 
 
Other studies have concluded that regular gardening cuts the risk of heart attack and stroke; strengthens dexterity, and might improve our immune system.   
 
For me, the most important surprise is the research associated with the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.  (My father died from this literally mind numbing illness, meaning I could be susceptible to it as well.  So, anything that can hasten or even halt this horrible affliction holds my interest.) 
 
A particular study that caught my eye was a long term one that tracked the lifestyles of about 3,000 seniors over the course of 16 years.  After analyzing the data, scientists concluded that daily gardening was the single largest risk reduction for dementia. More precisely, research here indicated that gardening every day cut the incidence of Alzheimer’s by 36 percent.  Another study found the number to be an astounding 47 percent. 
 
Thinking about it, this makes a lot of sense since gardening involves so many brain functions, including problem solving, learning and dexterity.
 
Baking a cake can wait.  I’m going outside, into the dirt.      
22 Comments
Kim Fonturbel
4/15/2018 06:38:51 pm

Another great blog Hilary. I had just finished baking a carrot cake and sat down to read this as my rest! I love your research and creative problem solving ideas. Its truly inspirational. I appreciate the physical strength/mobility it takes to get down in the dirt. You go girl! Impressive!

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Hilary
4/15/2018 07:36:17 pm

What I'm liking about digging in the dirt is that it's noncompetitive. I can go at my own pace, and ultimately, no matter how slow I go, I **will** see a result. That's funny about you baking a carrot cake and then sitting down to read this. LOL! :)

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Patti
4/15/2018 06:42:33 pm

Prior to 1982, when I bought my first home, the only thing I knew about gardening was that I didn't like it. (Probably because my mother used yard work as a punishment!) Since then, I have grown to love working in my yard. Pulling, digging, planting, raking, it's all good. Fresh air, sunshine, exercise, and sometimes I can even get things to grow! (Quite the challenge, considering that my yard is covered with snow for half the year!) At my age I can't do it all so my yard is nice, but my house is a mess!

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Hilary
4/15/2018 07:40:08 pm

I remember a time when you'd thought you'd get a truck and start your own landscape/gardening maintenance business. Just like seamstresses, this is a business where someone can make a LOT of dough. I'm doing a lot of this work because I can't find someone to do it for me (I'm not going to pay $40 an hour). But I find that I'm really enjoying it!

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Susan Jordan
4/15/2018 08:11:34 pm

Once upon a time, I was an Agriculture major in college. I even spent one quarter of my life at Cal Poly SLO as a bonafide lettuce farmer! I know exactly what you're talking about when you talk about working in the dirt. I've been thinking a lot about it lately, what with the state of the world and more specifically the state of America, and what could be another Great Depression coming our way. The folks who grew some of their own food weathered that storm better than those who didn't. I know it's a little off topic from planting ground cover, but both are valuable to think about. When I was about 12 or 13, I decided to grow vegetables AND zinnias in my back yard. It was deeply satisfying. I lived in the south part of town (Santa Monica), which was what I lovingly refer to as more "down home" than the wealthier north. My elderly neighbors across the street grew zucchini in their front yard! My neighbors across the alley had rabbits, the two old, eccentric sisters at the corner had chickens, and our neighbors down the alley/around the corner and down near the park had tall, beautiful corn growing in their back yard, along with other vegetables AND chickens! In the empty lot between our little house and our best-friend neighbors grew an apricot tree and a walnut tree. I had friends with citrus trees in their back yards, and years later, when I was grown, I had a huge, spectacular avocado tree in my back yard. Remembering all this mkaes me want to grow something again now! Maybe some heirloom tomatoes, or even watermelon. Sorry for going off on a tangent!

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Hilary
4/15/2018 08:21:48 pm

Vegetable gardens were very common well into the 1960s, and even more so 20 years before. My mom grew rhubarb and green onions, and we also had about five pomegranate trees, as well as a lemon tree and apricot tree (she made great jam from that tree). When I was very young, I thought everyone could just go into his/her back yard and pick a lemon! I have a raised bed herb garden, but at the moment, no herbs in it. In the past, though, I've had basil, Italian parsley, chives and sage. There is something deeply primal, and deeply satisfying, about digging in the dirt. : )

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Susan Jordan
4/15/2018 08:34:27 pm

Oh, yes - even through the 1970s and a bit into the 1980s (at least in my neighborhood), home gardens were much more common than now. I forgot that my last place in Santa Monica had a "magic" dwarf lemon tree (tall shrub, really) in my back yard, with near-perfect, sweet, juicy lemons. The shrub was so prolific that I had to take some of the lemons to work, where the husband of one of my coworkers (he was a chef) dubbed them "magic", they were so wonderful. That reminds me - I need to go knock on my old door and see if they'll share some with me, so I can plant its seeds for some new magic lemon trees. :)

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Hilary
4/16/2018 07:40:04 am

Oh, you must go get some of those magic seeds! We had a regular tree with regular lemons, but they did the trick. My mom made an amazing lemon meringue pie, and those were the lemons she always used.

Alys Milner link
4/15/2018 08:31:09 pm

Hello Hilary! I'm glad you've discovered the joy of gardening. I've had my hands in the dirt my entire life. I learned at the knee of my horticulturist father when I was four or five and have loved planting and tinkering in a garden ever since. I have read the studies about the benefits of getting your hands in the soil and how gardening combats depression. It's definitely my happy place. Alys

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Hilary A Grant
4/16/2018 07:42:12 am

When I was growing up, on the weekends, my father would spend HOURS decompressing in our backyard, sitting down and pulling weeds. I did about 30 minutes of that yesterday and got into a peaceful state of mind. Who would have thought... pulling WEEDS? :)

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leslie spoon
4/15/2018 08:36:19 pm

Hilary I like working in the yard. It is like therapy for me and helps clear my mind. I need that in this crazy world. It is also creative. I have been changing my backyard and I now have a potted garden. I use much less water now too.

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Hilary
4/16/2018 07:44:43 am

Besides being a mood elevator, gardening on a daily basis (which is what you do) has also been proven to help with depression. I first heard about this in the bereavement group I was in after my mom died. The therapist in the group said that even if you didn't have a back yard, get some plants and put them in pots and get your hands in the dirt. : )

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Larry Grant
4/16/2018 08:31:24 am

The dogs, for a reason I don't understand, love ice plant. Maybe it feels good to their paws.
I think the benefits of gardening are understood from early in life. Little kids love playing in the dirt. Oh, the wisdom of children. (Until someone puts technology in their hands)

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Hilary A Grant
4/16/2018 06:43:39 pm

I remember making sloppy mud pies as a kid, as well as building "forts" in the dirt, and digging a deep hole because I was told it would lead to China... but I think we only got about five feet down before we gave up. :) xo

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kerri fisher
4/16/2018 10:04:12 pm

If only I had more time - my app. 1/2 acre needs LOTS of constant gardening, and there's only so much a body can do on her busy days off. Also, my legs/knees aren't what they used to be. Matter of fact, I think some of the osteoarthritis in my thumbs is from yardwork. I sure love it, though.

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Hilary
4/17/2018 04:06:22 pm

My knees are not happy campers either--but gardening does clear my head. So I try to take it slow... but steady! :)

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Terry Excell
4/19/2018 12:44:40 am

Loved the article. Thanks for all the info on Alzheimer’s. I will pass this on. One thing I might mention.... make sure you wear a hat and sunscreen. I have been a sun lover and my skin is now paying the price. One I use is Coppertone oil free for faces (I use it everywhere ;) ), SPF 30 and isn't as disgusting as most.

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Hilary
4/19/2018 07:52:54 pm

Thanks Terry, and welcome to Girl Clown Dancing! I go back to the days when we went out in the backyard in a bikini and slathered baby oil all over, and then, just BAKED. I think I look way better with a tan, but the health risks just aren't worth it. The last time I had a great one was when I got married in 2005. I worked on that sucker for MONTHS!

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George Marshall link
4/25/2018 06:29:52 pm

I was a gardener for 35 years professionally, so that is good news about the mental health aspect. Now all I have to do is look at the plants. We're best friends.

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Hilary
4/27/2018 09:15:29 pm

Best friend with the plants? I **love** it! : )

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Andrea peck
6/30/2018 10:06:46 pm

I love the connection between gardening and health. I have not heard about the alzheimer's study, but I did read recently that exercising in a variety of ways--including using both hands or legs, etc...is really good for you.

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Hilary A Grant
6/30/2018 10:29:52 pm

My mom passed in 1993 and I wisely joined a bereavement group. The counselor there talked about how "digging in the dirt" helps the grieving process. I always remembered that. When my late partner passed six years later, I knew what to do. Dig!

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    Hilary Roberts Grant

    Journalist, editor, filmmaker, foodie--and a clown! 
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