Water Vole © Andrew Parkinson, 2008

Henley's River & Rowing Museum is sponsoring a garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show which it hopes will inspire gardeners to help save the water vole.

The water vole, one of the UK's most endangered species, is the theme of 'Ratty's Refuge', on show at Chelsea from May 20 to 24 2008. As well as highlighting the need for water vole habitats, it celebrates the 100th birthday of Kenneth Grahame's classic book The Wind in the Willows, in which Ratty, a water vole, is the star.

The water vole population is crashing at a terrible rate – numbers went from just over 7 million in 1990 to under 1 million in 1998, due to predation by American mink and poor watercourse management.

It is now subject to extra protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, and the Chelsea garden has been designed to show how native planting near waterways can help to provide a green refuge for them and other wildlife, as well as being beautiful.

Plan of River & Rowing Museum Ratty’s Refuge. Courtesy the River & Rowing Museum

Paul Mainds is Trustee and Chief Executive of the River & Rowing Museum.

"Ratty is one of the most popular characters in English literature," he said, "and the garden coupled with the centenary of The Wind in the Willows provides a real opportunity to highlight the plight of the water vole."

"When the garden is translated at the River & Rowing Museum, it will be used to inspire our visitors and school parties and demonstrate what is possible. Hopefully it will also increase the number of water voles around the Museum!"

After the Chelsea Flower Show, Ratty's Refuge will be transferred to the riverside Museum, complementing its permanent exhibition on The Wind in the Willows and Thames Gallery, which explores river ecology and wildlife.

You can find out more about the garden, designed by Angela Potter and Ann Robinson, at www.rattysrefuge.co.uk.