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Yesterday for work we went for a training. Trainings are usually pretty boring and I try to avoid them unless they are somewhere awesome, which rarely happens for someone low on the totem pole like myself.  The one yesterday was a training on hedgerows, which doesn't sound too exciting but it's about plants and those are right up my alley.

We've been working on the hedgerow at work since last year. Everything was growing really well out there. In fact, too well. All the weeds were taller than the plants! So they mowed down almost everything, sprayed it with something that wasn't supposed to be TOO bad for the environment and replanted about 50 bushes that the rabbits and gophers ate. I was pretty sad to see them mow down all those flowers but I guess in the long run it's going to look better.

Anyhow, back to the training. I wanted to go to the training so I'd learn more about them but also so I can get more information to maybe plant one across the street from my house.

I mean, it would look so nice if I had something like this to look at (That is actually 2 hedgerows, one on each side)

instead of the field in the background of this picture

Of course mine would have to start off on a smaller scale. The idea is to plant native bushes in a row of sorts and then you plant native flowering seeds in a row next to the bushes. If the plants are native they don't have to be watered very much, if at all (although the ones they had there that were watered with a drip line looked 75% larger).

Also when you have native plants you get more native bees. Now a lot of people don't like bees, and before I started working at this job I didn't quite understand how important bees are. It's pretty basic. If you don't have bees, you don't have food. End of story.

I learned quite a bit about bees at the training. Mostly from the gal from the Xerces Society, who is also the gal that's been helping us with our hedgerow at work.

The bees we see in the boxes? Those are not native bees. The cute big fat fuzzy bees you see? THOSE are native bees. Here's one I caught on the hedgerow. I think I'm turning into a geek because now when I see a fuzzy bee I get all excited.

"LOOK LOOK A NATIVE!" When I can start spitting out the scientific names for them you'll know I've completely crossed over.

I'm sure Scott loves how now I'm all "DON'T KILL THE BEES!!" He's allergic to them so he's always afraid  of getting stung and freaks out when they fly around him.Pin It