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Biography of Malcolm Archbald SMITH
[Ref. S.1]
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Section C : Gardening
Glencairn, West End, Chobham - Malcolm obtained his interest in gardening by watching and helping his father grow vegetables in their back garden during World War 1. He had his own first garden at the age of five. His father let him use part of one of the flower beds in the front garden of their bungalow in which Malcolm grew some red cabbages from seed. Unfortunately he did not see them mature as the family moved house that same year.
Kashmir Cottage, Camberley - At this next house, Malcolm created a small plot at the edge of the garden by some woodland. Here he grew flowers but also tried to grow wild things such as toadstools, moss and ferns, none of which prospered of course because they did not like being moved also were placed into the wrong conditions.
Birch Croft, Camberley - When Malcolm was a teenager, the family moved to this house which had a very large and well established garden. He set about landscaping some of the garden area, being that he enjoyed the physical aspect of gardening. Firstly, he created a shrub border around the boundary at the rear of the property where the vegetable patch and orchard were located. Alongside that he constructed a gravel path with material taken from a big hole he dug in the front garden. It was planned that the hole, a fairly large one at that, would form a pond, but it was never completed. Malcolm also designed and built a pergola in the front garden.
Trickett's Cottage, Verwood - After he was married and living in the cottage in Verwood, Malcolm had a ¼ acre garden to work from scratch so he went for a traditional cottage garden and vegetable plot. He planted with the long term in mind as he and his wife intended this to be their home for life. The front garden had a rose bed, a flower border and a traditional herbacious border. One boundary had espalier apple and pear trees and the back garden had a vegetable plot containing the full range including a fruit cage.
Shaftesbury House, Verwood -Despite their plans to remain at the cottage, Malcolm & his family moved home to "Shaftesbury House" which had an established garden of an akward shape which was difficult to change so he left it basically as it was. He was able to create a small vegetable plot in the back garden but it was bordered by trees which hindered the growth of decent crops.
Oine Walk, Verwood -
Fordingbridge -When he arrived in Fordingbridge, Malcolm applied for and was allocated an allotment which was located nearby. It was totally overgrown when he took it on but soon had it producing a good selection of fruit and vegetables. After a couple of years he also took on a neighbouring plot which had become vacant. During the early years on the allotment, Malcolm kept a record of the allotment on the internet although he did not keep it active. He gave up the second allotment when the number of new applicants outstripped the available plots. He divided his plot into five sections, one for a good variety of soft fruit and the other four for the traditional rotation of vegetable crops.
Fordingbridge Allotments -After the children had left home, Malcolm and Brenda moved to Fordingbridge. There he was able to redesign the garden, although having to work within restrictions due to the shape of the plot, and the need to maintain visibility lines next to the road. A further change is now planned to improve the flower border and install a pond.