Hints & tips

HELP ROSES BLOOM

Roses require feeding weekly from spring through to autumn. Ishtar says it is important to give the ground a good soaking before fertilising to avoid damaging the roots. In the heat of Auckland’s summer, her roses may slow down their flowering for a period of time but autumn is almost like a second spring and they revive again.

SECRET INGREDIENT

“The cheapest and easiest way to get nitrogen in your soil is by using your wees,” says Ishtar. She makes a nourishing tea with one part fresh urine to 40 parts water and adds some Seasol.

HERBAL REMEDY

Cottage-style gardens need to feel as if they are overflowing with plants. Ishtar fills the gaps with lots of herbs like lemon balm, borage and peppermint. It helps retain moisture in the soil over summer and also keeps pests at bay. “I never spray my roses and growing lots of herbs between them makes it less likely to get black spot, because the spores don’t come up from the ground,” she explains. “It also keeps the insects away as they don’t like the smell of the herbs, so I never have aphids and hardly any whitefly.”

FEED THE BEES

“I have so many different bees in my garden,” says Ishtar. “They particularly love it when herbs such as oregano, lemon balm and peppermint are in flower.”