We are working together to help raise awareness of the plight of the water vole at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this month.

Water voles have just been given special legal protection to help stop their decline in numbers, as their numbers have dropped from seven million in 1990 to one million in 1998.

To ensure their future is more secure the seven water companies in the South East, the Environment Agency, Waterwise and the Consumer Council for Water will be jointly sponsoring the River & Rowing Museum’s Ratty’s Refuge at this month’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, from 20 – 24 May 2008.

The garden, designed by Ann Robinson and Angela Potter of English Eden, shows how gardeners within 1km (0.6 miles) of a river or water course can do their bit to create a habitat for water voles within a small urban setting.  The garden not only provides plenty of dense, lush planting for the water vole, but also doubles-up as a sanctuary to escape the rush of modern living.  The environmentally-friendly permeable decking provides the perfect space for dining out during the warm summer evenings.

Andy Smith, MD of Three Valleys Water and Chair of Water in the South East, said: “We’re really pleased to be supporting the River & Rowing Museum’s Ratty’s Refuge. The South East of England is under increasing pressure from housing development and population growth and gardeners have a very important role to play in creating and maintaining these vital wildlife corridors.

“With more properties built at higher densities and also home owners paving front gardens to park their cars, the amount of green space within urban areas is decreasing. 

“We hope that this beautiful garden will not only inspire existing and new gardeners to look at how they can help to save the water vole, but also to think about the importance of water in the garden.  Capturing rainwater for garden use is better for plants and using permeable surfaces to allow water to filter through to the aquifer is good for the environment.”

To find out more about the garden log on to www.rattysrefuge.co.uk which provides planting ideas and tips for water vole-friendly gardens as well as blogs and pictures charting the progress of River & Rowing Museum’s Ratty’s Refuge at Chelsea.

The  Wildlife Trusts’ Top Tips For A Water Vole Friendly Garden:

If your garden backs on to a stream, river, canal or other watercourse:

1. Leave a buffer strip (ideally two metres or more wide) of grasses and other plants along the water’s edge to provide food and cover for water voles.
2. Mow the buffer strip once a year in autumn to limit scrub colonisation and increase plant diversity
3. Keep banksides open to encourage the lush grasses and other green plants water voles favour.
4. Consider coppicing existing trees and shrubs to increase light levels if appropriate.

If your garden is close to a river, stream, canal or other watercourse:

1. Create a pond with an adjacent wetland area, lining the pond in the traditional way with clay if you can, rather than with butyl or other synthetic materials.
2. Site your pond away from overhanging trees and check the location of service cables and drains before digging!
3. Give your pond a varied bank profile, with banks of around 45 degrees for water voles, and shallower sloping areas that can utilised by amphibians and invertebrates
4. Ensure that the pond has areas where water is 25cm-50cm deep.
5. Ensure there is open space approximately 10 cm deep along the base of at least one garden boundary to allow access for water voles and other wildlife.
6. Create a shelf around the edge of the pond that can be planted with marginal plants such as Yellow Flag Iris and rushes. 
7. Use the Natural History Museum’s postcode plants database to find help choosing suitable native plants for your pond. (Access the database at www.rattysrefuge.co.uk)
8. Make sure that you don’t buy any non-native invasive aquatic plants for your pond. Check out the links on www.rattysrefuge.co.uk for advice and information on which plants to avoid.