"The space was a bit sad and neglected, " says John. "It was a typical suburban garden with a long rectangular plot of grass. It had very little going for it. There were few plants and shrubs and a big, ugly shed totally dominated the right-hand side of the space." The garden was the perfect play area for Sunniva's children, but now that they were all grown up she wanted a space that she could enjoy.

John and Will's plan was to rejuvenate the garden and add interest and colour with plants and natural materials. "Sunniva has double doors that lead out from her living room in to the garden so we placed a quarter circle tiered deck just outside the doors to make for easy access, " says John. It's the perfect spot for entertaining and as the garden is south facing it enjoys sun throughout the day.

A curved wooden path leads from the deck and meanders around a curved lawn, bordered with lots of leafy and colourful planting. "Curving the path takes the focus away from the boundary walls and redirects the eye around the garden, " says John. "It gives the garden a sense of structure and movement, is visually appealing and opens up the space to new perspectives."

Along the path, the duo have created little stop-off points of interest . . . a pond planted with lilies, a private, hidden seating area behind the shed and a pergola. "The pergola gives the garden a sense of structure and formality and also helps to counterbalance the dominance of the shed, " says John. While the garden doesn't have one overriding theme, the look is feminine and romantic, and traditional in terms of planting, with the path providing a contemporary injection. It's a real sensory explosion of colour, texture, sound and smell.

Where John and Will have been really clever is to use the plants to disguise and emphasise certain features in the garden. They've softened the boundaries with climbers, camouflaged the shed with trellis and lots of leafy plants and highlighted the path with colourful flowers. They've also used a mix of gravel, stone and wood to define the space and add interest. What's more the planting they've chosen looks good in the summer, winter and at night.

As a final nod to Sunniva's grand plan, John and Will have run small pin lights along the path and underlit the mature birch and cherry trees. "The lighting is mains powered so all Sunniva has to do is flick a switch to get the effect, " says John. The result is a lush, slightly wild and definitely romantic space.