The River and Rowing Museum
River and Rowing Museum: Ratty's Refuge
Designers: Angela Potter and Ann Robinson for English Eden, with Sylvia Ong-Mörtl
Contractor: Heritage Landscapes
Sponsor: The River & Rowing Museum
Designed by recent graduates from Capel Manor College, this garden is intended to highlight the plight of the water vole, which is the fastest declining species of mammal in the UK. Ratty’s Refuge was inspired by Ratty the water vole from Kenneth Grahame’s classic children’s book The Wind in The Willows, which celebrates 100 years of publication in 2008.
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.