I was asked to design the garden for the children's hospice in Poole by the charity Greenfingers, who fund gardens for children's hospices around the country.

The interior had been designed with a seaside theme and so I continued this theme within the garden, with the shapes inspired by ammonites, undulating walls mimicking waves and paths made from a firm sandy surface (for wheelchairs) with grasses and drifts of sea thrift seeding through. A raised wooden boardwalk runs through a tiny area of woodland where the ground drops away, allowing a leaf-level mini nature trail for the children (and a race track for wheelchairs!)

A private, reflective area for parents is enclosed with a translucent screen that catches the light; central to this is a specially commissioned oak bench and a symbolic pebble cairn. Planting in shades of blues and yellows continues the seaside theme, and large fossilised ammonites nestle within grasses that drift through the borders and the paths.

The garden provides a sensory, stimulating and fun place for the children and their siblings to play in safety, and a contemplative space for their parents.

Find out more about Julia's House at www.juliashouse.org or about Childrens Hospices at http://www.greenfingerscharity.org.uk/