Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻

Gardener and allotment owner living in North East England 🌱 Instagram: @growingwithliv_

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

The rubbish pile looks way smaller than it is and contains rotted wood, concrete blocks, bricks, carpet, plastic everything, old saws, metal poles, kitchen cabinets, an old door aaaaand basically anything else you can think of 😂😂 #GardeningTwitter

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

The result of a glamorous morning spent at the plot 💪🏻😅

We suspect my plot has been used as a dumping ground of sorts by a previous tenant or someone who just wanted to get rid of their rubbish and knew the plot wasn’t in use 🙃 #GardeningTwitter #allotment

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

It’s hard not to be despondent when you get a plot like this and a mountain of other people’s rubbish to get rid of. I certainly feel a bit deflated today but I am determined to get the plot in a working organised order, it will just take time and a lot of graft #GardeningTwitter

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

Sadly didn’t get down to the allotment today to begin the almighty clear up due to the weather and my awful cold still sticking around - I did get into the garden to cut down these sunflower heads for drying for seeds though 🌻#GardeningTwitter

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

Can’t wait to see Monty’s tulips flowering next spring #GardenersWorld

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

Wow the wood that Carole visited is absolutely gorgeous, all that autumnal colour 🧡💛 lovely way to experience all the other senses too #GardenersWorld

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

Looking forward to growing these (nasturtiums and cosmos have to be at the top of my favourite flowers list), plus my free tomato seed 🌸🍅 @mrfothergill
#GardeningTwitter #CanItBeSpringAlready

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

My @mrfothergill order has landed. Majority of these seeds were only £1, so naturally I bought as much as I could. Going to grow cornflowers for the first time next year 🌞🌱
#gardeningtwitter #seedsfordays

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

@HeeromaLavinia @charlesdowding Amazing thank you!

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

Composting advice needed ⚠️ I’m hoping to get started at the allotment on Saturday (if my awful cold allows me) and will be cutting through the grass, weeds and whatever else I find. What can you compost - is it everything? Not allowed certain weeds? #GardeningTwitter #allotment

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

@tailthatwags @steffiec91 That’s so helpful, both of you. Thank you

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

@steffiec91 In all honesty, I have no idea what no dig entails although I have heard lots of it - what is it? I am hoping to strim my plot first of all to take all of the grass and weeds to ground level and work from there…in other words, cross that bridge when I get to it!!

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

@_Plot_20 Thank you for sharing this website. Looks full of info and I have saved to read later. I think the main struggle will be identifying what classifies as a weed that can be composted or not. I assume there is probably a handy guide online with pictures of weeds that I can use!

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

@plotmassive Thank you. My plot is covered in brambles so this is good advice. I have no idea what else is covering my plot / what certain weeds look like so I assume I will have to google anything questionable before adding it to a compost heap

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

@56Neil It most certainly has. A lot of my sunflowers didn’t flower until late august and September and one plant has just started to bloom! Although the flowers are very small

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

The mornings are very chilly now (unsure if I’ve had frost at all yet) and I’m conscious that the flowers won’t be around for much longer. Going to be most sad to see the back of the cosmos which has become a firm fave - photo taken on Friday and still glorious #GardeningTwitter

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

I have however planted some winter violas (shop bought) so interested on how they shape up!

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

My gosh, I think we all need a Ned in our gardens to help out 😍😍 #GardenersWorld

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

@_Plot_20 @astone13004514 Very exciting! I understand it’s best to grow them on in a cold frame or greenhouse over winter but I have neither so hoping my unheated porch will do 🤞🏻

[Olivia 👩🏻‍🌾🌻 @growingwithliv]

That germination buzz in autumn! My autumn sown sweet peas are starting to germinate. Never grown these before so excited to see where we end up 🌱 I’ve got six pots on the go with a different variety in each - if they are a success, I will sow more next year 🍬 #GardeningTwitter