Top 5 plants in the WaterAid Garden

Highlighting the importance of plant selection, alder wood hardens in water and can survive submerged. The roots have nodules that capture nitrogen improving soil fertility. They can also absorb toxic heavy metals from the ground, helping to restore waste industrial land.

Because of its high sensitivity to water pollution, the condition of the H. palustris plant within its habitat can indicate whether or not the water source is clean or polluted. It can also support other biodiversity in the habitat in myriad ways. It works to oxygenate the water, which provides more resources for other plants.

Bog bean is a native shallow water marginal pond plant that will grow around the pond edge producing starry white flowers in May and June with beautiful green foliage. Native plants and flowers, such as bogbean, are important to add to wildlife-friendly water features and pond margins to provide shelter for amphibians and nectar for insects.

Resistant to pollution, great for autumn colour and can be used to make syrup. The field maple is a sturdy broadleaf tree which supports caterpillars, aphids, and all their predators.

Perfect for drought-resistant gardens in the UK. Its ability to take extremes of cold whilst at the same time being tolerant of drought conditions means it can readily withstand the harsh British climate and its increasingly extreme and changeable weather.