Dwellings of Malcolm Archbald SMITH
[Ref. S.1]
| Biography |  |
Purchase | |
Refurbishment | |
Decoration & furnishing | |
Garden in later years |
Creating the garden
Malcolm was a keen gardener and he particularly liked the heavy work in creating the layout, so this quarter acre wild plot was a godsend. He drew up a plan showing his vision of the layout of the garden although the finished version had evolved differently. The space along the right-hand boundary had to be respected as it was a right of access to the school field behind the cottage. This was never used then became defunct when bungalows were built in the field.
The ground in which the cottage stood had been halved leaving a building plot to the south. That boundary was rather close to the cottage so Malcolm had negotiated that it be moved 18" away thus giving better access to the side of the cottage. Having marked out the new boundary, Malcolm purchased and erected a chestnut pail fence. As the plot next door was not developed for some time, it grew wild and weeds came into the cottage garden. Malcolm was working on a building site in nearby Ferndown where site clearance was taking place. There was a load of bitumen treated corrugated iron sheeting to be cleared so Malcolm loaded up as much as he could carry on the roof of his car and brought it home, some of the sheets slipping down onto the bonnet of the car upon unloading. He bent the sheets doubled up longways then placed them into a trench along the boundary to keep the stray roots out.
Malcolm was a keen gardener, so the ¼ acre plot was a factor in the cottage being bought. The building work meant that getting the garden into shape would have to wait, however, there was something that needed urgent attention. Having investigated the source of the ground water, it was found to be just a few inches below the surcafe in the southeast part of the front garden. Malcolm decided to try and lower the level by putting in a French drain. To this end, he dug a trench right around the cottage then down to the front boundary. The drain comprised porous terracotta land drain pipes laid in a bed if shingle which was then covered by a layer of newspaper then inverted turves to prevent the backfilled dirt seeping down and blocking the drain.
Later that year, Malcolm received a letter from the County Council to say that water from his land drain was seeping across the public footpath and causing a danger. He was given permission to connect the the main surface water drain and to undertake the work himself. He was given some warning signs to place around the work but actually managed to install the pipe without digging up the footpath.
Eventually a time came when work could start on the garden. Malcolm had cleared a patch at the top of the back garden early on to start growing vegetables. In 1966, he gradually cleared the front garden then levelled the ground and sowed grass seed, leaving a border in front of the house for flowers. There had been a central path from the front door to a gate to the road, but Malcolm later grassed over that in favour of using the driveway for access. A hedge of alternate Griselinia and Purple Berberis was planted along the front bounday to act both as a screen and deterrent to animals and children.
Malcolm and Brenda were married in November 1967 and moved into the house properly. Malcolm continued to develop the garden as and when time permitted.
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