Aquist - Your Holiday Helper

Broadstone, Dorset gardens looked after while you relax on holiday

Going away during the hosepipe ban?

A hosepipe makes watering a large garden relatively easy. Doing the same job with watering cans is much more demanding, particularly for containers, hanging baskets and newly planted plants. Aquist takes care of the watering while you're away, using permitted methods and prioritising the plants that need it most.

Hot dry summers are when your garden needs you most. A holiday gap can damage months of careful garden care. The Aquist holiday watering service fills that gap, watering the plants you want at the times you set. We will send you photo reports while you are away so you can be confident your garden is being looked after.

Aquist operates from June till September, covering the period when holiday watering is most needed.

When hosepipe bans are announced, we will keep your plants alive with watering cans and other drought management methods.

If you are not sure what your garden needs, start with a free Garden Survey and Soil Check. We will look at your garden and discuss the best approach for keeping it healthy while you are away - with no obligation to purchase any service.

How Aquist holiday watering works

Once you have joined Hortimate, you can book online for early morning or evening watering as you prefer. You can also set up a list of alternative maintenance tasks which we will work through if the weather turns wet while you are away.

For most established plants, a thorough watering every 2 to 3 days works well during hot, dry weather, although the exact frequency depends on the plant, soil and conditions. Containers, hanging baskets and newly planted plants may need attention every day.

Daily visits allow us to manage this practically. We give containers and new planting the attention they need on every visit, while rotating through established beds, borders and shrubs so that each area receives a thorough watering on an appropriate cycle. We check moisture levels and adjust the rotation as conditions change.

We will measure moisture levels and adjust the watering to suit the conditions.

We can water containers, pots, flower, fruit and vegetable beds, greenhouses and lawns as you require, making sure you return to a flourishing garden. Flower dead-heading can be included if needed.

Give your plants a treat

Add on liquid plant food and give your garden a mid-summer boost. We can add a general liquid fertilizer to the watering plan, or give a more focused feed for tomatoes, roses, ericaceous fruit and vegetables. See our Fertiliser and Feeding knowledge page for more details on how this can help your garden to flourish.

Hosepipe bans

We will continue to care for your garden using lawful watering methods, including watering cans, moving containers to shade, and if requested, adding mulch or shade screens to reduce water loss where appropriate. We will adapt the watering plan to the conditions and do everything reasonably possible to protect your plants. See our Watering Knowledge page for more information.