Ratty's Refuge
Designers: Angela Potter and Ann Robinson for English Eden, with Sylvia Ong-Mörtle and Jean Thomas
Contractor: Heritage Landscapes
Sponsor: The River & Rowing Museum
Plant list (pdf)
Watch videos showing the construction of the gardens and updates from the Garden Designers
The Garden
This urban garden provides a green and peaceful refuge for people and wildlife, in particular the endangered water vole. It draws its inspiration from, and celebrates, the centenary of the classic children’s book ‘The Wind In the Willows’ and its much-loved character Ratty, the water vole. Featuring a pond and native wetland plants, such as Phalaris arundinacea and Iris pseudocurus, the garden incorporates the elements required to attract water voles, showing gardeners how they can to help to save this newly protected species.
The geometric hard landscaping is designed to contrast with a Hedera helix boundary and lush planting. Recycled oak decking, which was in use at the River & Rowing Museum, offers an alternative to wood while under-planted galvanized grating increase biodiversity. The owners of the garden can relax in peace surrounded by moisture-loving plants and observe the vole habitat on the naturalistically planted bank. Bold and varied leaf textures are enlivened by splashes of yellow, white and blue flowers; a blend of native plants and garden cultivars.
Willows recall the garden’s literary inspiration while the focal-point photographic image taken by the renowned wildlife photographer Andrew Parkinson reminds us of the garden’s charming visitors.
The Team
All of the team members, including Richard Delahaye of Heritage Landscapes studied at Capel Manor College.
Angela Potter
A lifelong passionate gardener, Angela decided to make a second career in garden and planting design. First obtaining the RHS General Certificate in Horticulture she then went on to study at Capel Manor College where she obtained the Diploma in Planting and Garden Design. At present she is studying Hard Landscaping there. In 2006 Angela set up English Eden Garden & Planting Design (www.english-eden.co.uk) with her longstanding friend Ann Robinson. She can be contacted on 07810 188372.
Ann Robinson
Ann’s first career was as a solicitor, but after raising a family she decided not to return to the law and came to Capel Manor to study for the RHS General Certificate in Horticulture. Having always had an interest in design she decided to pursue a new career as a garden designer and completed the Garden Design Diploma. She is now a partner in English Eden Garden & Planting Design with Angela Potter (www.english-eden.co.uk) Tel: 07765 254600 covering Cambridge, Middlesex and surrounding areas.
Sylvia Ong-Mörtl
A background in practical gardening and love of plants led Sylvia to study for the RHS General Certificate, followed by The City & Guilds Practical Gardening course at Capel Manor College. Sylvia subsequently obtained a Garden Design Diploma at Capel Manor and was awarded 'Student of the Year' on the OCN Plants and Planting Design course in 2006. In 2007 her design of a courtyard garden for the Christian Action Housing Association won first prize in a competition run by the college. As an accomplished plantswoman with a 'hands on' approach to designing with plants, Sylvia has established a successful garden design business. Sylvia's Contact number 077127 63615 www.sylviaongmortl.co.uk
Jean Thomas
After working full time as a chartered accountant for over 20 years, Jean's desire to create a garden for her own home lead her to obtain the City & Guilds Practical Gardening qualification with Capel Manor. This stimulated her interest in horticulture and inspired her to train as a garden designer at Capel Manor, where she obtained a diploma in garden design and met the other project members. Since qualifying, she has set up Cityscape Garden Designs, specialising in urban gardens. Jean can be contacted on 0776 458 1250 or at www.cityscapegardens.co.uk.
The Design Process
Ann explains the path that led them to Chelsea.
Angela and I were first involved in designing a show garden when we entered a competition to design a water garden for Anglo Aquarium Plant and Grand Marnier through Capel Manor College. We were really excited about the project and thrilled to find that we were runners up. In the same summer we were fortunate enough to be involved in Capel Manor’s ‘Growing together in Faith’ garden designed by Julie Phipps. This gave us the opportunity to see behind the scenes at Chelsea 2007.
At the same show a group of four former Capel students were exhibiting the ‘A Garden to Take Tea In’ for the National Benevolent Fund for the Aged, and another pair of recent Capel graduates had designed ‘Le Jardin de Vincent’. All of these former students had attended the same garden design courses that we were completing at that time and their successes spurred us on to submit a design to for the following year.
We discovered that 2008 was the centenary of the publication of Wind in the Willows and we were inspired by our love of the book and its characters. Ratty is the kind and good natured water vole who famous states ‘there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats’. His exploits transport the reader into a gentle bucolic world in which the characters switch seamlessly from their natural animal habitats to living as humans.
Water voles are the most endangered mammal in the UK. Angela had first hand experience of the plight of the species as she had been involved in a water vole recovery programme in her Cambridgeshire village. We researched the subject in great detail, seeking advice from academics at Oxford University and The Wildlife Trusts and it became clear that gardeners could play a significant part.
Over the summer we continued to research the subject and we followed several different paths, but nothing was absolutely right. Angela read biographies of the author Kenneth Grahame and Ann researched Edwardian planting as we searched for our ideal design. Several design ideas were developed. It felt like there was a snowstorm in our heads; we had lots of concepts, but were not sure exactly how to represent them for the greatest impact.
By the beginning of September we decided that the garden should be a modern urban garden. This appealed to us for several reasons. We had read that new gardens were getting smaller and smaller, and had also been told by The Wildlife Trusts that any garden in Cambourne, a new village with plenty of small gardens in Cambridgeshire, could support water voles because of the proximity to water. This provided the blueprint we were looking for, and thus Ratty’s Refuge, the green urban retreat for water voles and humans, was born.
We then had five weeks to submit the idea to the RHS together with the supporting documentation. We knew that a well researched application would enhance our chances of being selected for this most prestigious horticultural show. At this point Sylvia and Jean joined the team and gave us their much valued support to submitting the design and after several weeks of sleepless nights I delivered our application to the RHS at their Vincent Square offices by hand on the closing date.
Five weeks later we opened the envelope and screamed! We had been accepted.
Subsequently we have been thrilled to find sponsors who are such a perfect match for the garden. River & Rowing Museum’s permanent Wind in the Willows exhibition, and educational aims, mirror the garden beautifully. In the design we have incorporated several sustainable features, such as permeable landscaping and water harvesting. These are very important to Water in the South East, who subsequently became secondary sponsors of the garden. Native planting is key to making a water vole friendly garden so we were delighted to be sponsored by the specialist nursery British Wildflower Plants. We are also very grateful to our alma mater, Capel Manor College, for their generous support.
You can follow the construction of Ratty's Refuge on our website, starting 12th May 2008.
Web ref: RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Last updated:
18 May, 2008
Capel Manor College
Bullsmoor Lane, Enfield, Middlesex EN1 4RQ
Tel: 08456 122 122
