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Jeremy Corbyn offers gardening tips to US politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

The Labour leader’s gardening tips included using flowers to attract bees and improve pollination.
The Labour leader’s gardening tips included using flowers to attract bees and improve pollination. The Labour leader’s gardening tips included using flowers to attract bees and improve pollination.

Jeremy Corbyn has offered gardening tips to US politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The Labour Party leader, who has his own allotment, urged the Democrat congresswoman to get her “hands dirty” with soil in a tweet.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez had asked for “sage” advice from her social media followers on how best to tend to a community garden plot.

Mr Corbyn replied on Sunday: “For a new plot, first see what is already growing!

“Then go for some flowers and plants that attract bees and thus improve pollination for everyone – lavender or comfrey good for bees.

“Best way to be healthy is to get your hands dirty – in the soil!”

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asked her social media followers for tips on tending a community garden (Seth Wenig/AP)

Ms Ocasio-Cortez, 29, who is the youngest woman ever elected to US congress, had announced to her social media followers that she would be tending to the community plot for the next few months.

When asking for advice, said she wanted “ideally at least one edible thing”, adding: “We can do flowers too”.

Mr Corbyn and Ms Ocasio-Cortez held “wide-reaching” telephone talks in February on topics including climate change and migration, the congresswoman said at the time.

Following their discussion, Mr Corbyn said there was a need to build a political “movement across borders”.