Ratty's Refuge
Inspiring gardeners to help save the water vole is the theme of a new garden – River & Rowing Museum’s Ratty's Refuge – at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May. The garden also celebrates the 100th birthday of Kenneth Grahame’s classic book The Wind in the Willows, the star of which is Ratty - a water vole. The Museum in Henley on Thames houses the only dedicated Wind in the Willows exhibition in the UK.
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Water Vole facts
- The water vole is Britain’s fastest declining mammal
- Almost 20 years ago there were just over seven million water voles in the UK. Ten years ago there were just under one million
- Naturalistic planting near rivers and waterways can create the right habitat for water voles
About the garden
This is a contemporary urban garden, using naturalistic planting to create a green refuge for people and wildlife. The lush planting contrasts with the geometric simplicity of the environmentally-friendly decking combined with grids.
The planting is a mixture of native species from Cambourne in Cambridgeshire, together with garden cultivars; predominantly green with yellow, blue and white. Key plants include native willows and moisture-loving plants that provide water voles with food and habitat.
You can keep up with the progress of the garden with regular updates here.
River & Rowing Museum’s Ratty’s Refuge is being created by garden designers English Eden in consultation with The Wildlife Trusts. British Wildflower Plants have supplied a range of plants and Water In The South East is also supporting the project.
Andrew Parkinson, wildlife photographer
