Behind a beautiful Georgian terraced home lies a garden with a hidden surprise. When the pavers were removed and the level lowered, a World War II air raid shelter was revealed. The owner of this small 50m2 garden was excited by the prospect of this piece of history in the grounds of an already fascinating building.

She was keen to retain something of the shelter and we toyed with one idea of a covered pond with sliding deck; and another with a glass fronted display area for china items dug up in the garden. Her final decision was to simply echo the shape in a paved patio at the centre of the garden. Cottage-style planting would in time grow around it, with a focus on Summer scents from lavender and salvias. Pleached trees were added at the back of the garden, with ever-green jasmine planted to grow over the fences, boosting the scent on warm summer evenings.