The hosepipe ban and your houseplants: what actually changes

Thames Water's hosepipe ban started this week, covering over ten million customers across London and the Thames Valley. If you've got a garden, you'll already be thinking about your borders and your lawn. But I've had a few clients ask me a slightly different question: does this affect what's happening indoors?

Short answer: not directly. Your indoor watering can carry on exactly as normal. But there are a few things worth knowing, especially if you're someone with both a garden and a houseplant collection.

Your tap water indoors is unaffected

The ban applies to hosepipes, sprinklers and pressure washers used outdoors. It has nothing to do with watering can or jug use, which is how almost everyone waters their houseplants anyway. So there's no change needed to your usual routine.

It's a good moment to start collecting water anyway

Plenty of houseplants actually prefer it. Tap water in London is heavily chlorinated and fairly hard, which some sensitive plants (think calathea, Chinese money plant, ferns) can be fussy about over time. If you're already changing your outdoor habits because of the ban, it's a natural moment to start leaving a jug of tap water out overnight before you use it indoors too, letting the chlorine dissipate and the water come up to room temperature. Small habit, happier plants.

If you're bringing stressed garden plants indoors, be careful

I've had a couple of clients ask whether they should move a struggling potted specimen from the garden into the house while the ban runs its course. My advice is generally no, unless it's a plant that was always going to live indoors eventually. Moving a plant from outdoor light and airflow into a house is a big shock on its own, without adding drought stress on top. If a potted garden plant is suffering, the kinder options are grouping pots together in shade, mulching, or watering deeply but infrequently with what you're allowed, rather than relocating it into an environment it isn't suited to.

A quick note on watering the garden by hand

I only work indoors, so garden care properly isn't my area, but since I'm often asked: the ban covers hosepipes, sprinklers and pressure washers, not watering cans or jugs. So hand-watering with tap water is still allowed. A few clients have mentioned reusing water they've already left standing indoors (the same jug you might use to dechlorinate for houseplants) for thirsty garden pots too, which is a sensible way to make the most of it. Beyond that, I'd point you to Thames Water's own guidance or a garden specialist for the detail.

Where I can help

This isn't really my patch, I only work with what's indoors, but if the ban has you thinking more about your plants generally and you've got houseplants that need attention, a repot, or a proper care plan, that's exactly where I come in. Drop me a line and we can have a chat.