Sharon and Brad Malt’s house started out as a traditional 1929 Cape house tucked on a ridge below Pack Monadnock.

“We could not believe the views when we first came up here,” Sharon said. “It was in the winter, and we could see both directions, east and west.”

The original Cape house was built by Donald Gibbs, a former mayor of Newton, Massachusetts. Over the years, two additions were built by previous owners. A former garage was turned into a family room, and a newer garage and guest rooms were added to the north end of the house. 

The Malts had no previous ties to Peterborough when they found the property.

“We just scouted around New England to find a place in the country,” Sharon said. “We knew we were going to raise our kids in the city, and we needed a place for them to have grass and trees. We looked within a two-hour radius of Boston, and found Peterborough, and we just fell in love with the area.”

“The kids didn’t know what a driveway was; we don’t have those on Beacon Hill,” Brad said. “Peterborough is a real place, and we loved that. There are not a lot of places where you can find land in a permanent, four-season community.”

Both the Malts said that while they both knew the house needed a lot of work, they realized the land was very special.

“We liked the house, but we loved the views,” Sharon said. 

Brad says he had wanted to buy an 18th-century farmhouse in a different location, but says he “lost the argument.” 

“We knew we could change the house, but you can’t change the view, and you can’t change the location,” Brad said.

Both of the Malt boys were “serious baseball players,” and the family carved out a baseball field below the house on the west side.

“When we moved in, there was just the driveway and a few birch trees. We used one of the birch trees for third base,” Brad said. 

In 2008, the Malts built a small guest house on the property and moved into it while the Cape house and additions were renovated to create the space they live in today. 

“It really needed a lot of work,” Brad said. 

When the Malts bought the house, the space with the best view of Grand Monadnock was taken up by a windowless laundry room in the center of the structure. 

“We’re not sure what the previous owner was thinking,” Brad said. 

The Malts opened the former two-story garage and laundry space in the middle of the house and created a post-and-beam style family room. A double fireplace now serves the great room and the porch outside. 

The Malts made the new house as efficient as possible, adding triple-paned glass and insulation. 

The family were “not gardeners at all” when they bought the house on the ridge. 

“We just assumed, since we bought the house in the winter, that the gardens would be full of flowers,” Sharon laughed. “But then spring came, and there was just the lilacs, and one potentilla. That was it.” 

The Malts “spent three years clearing out invasive vines.” 

“The previous owner was never here in the summer because they spent summers on Nantucket,” Sharon said. “They weren’t here to be able to maintain the gardens.” 

The Malts began to learn about gardening, and soon, they were hooked. 

“We had no idea what we were doing,” Sharon said. “We made five-year plans of what we wanted to change – we wanted a screened-in porch, and we built a sleeping porch — we had a whole list.” 

“The kids would sleep out there in all weather. Sharon would go out there and find the kids covered with snow,” Brad said. 

The west side of the house now overlooks a stone patio with and a sea of ornamental grasses, which frame the western view of Monadnock.

“There used to be a huge asphalt turn-around out front. When you looked toward Monadnock, all you saw was pavement ,” Sharon said. “We love the patio that is there now. It is like another room of the house. We love the sunsets.” 

The gardens include English-style “garden rooms” closer to the house, which transition into more open spaces radiating away from the house. Over the years, the family added a pond, trails, storage buildings, and a barn re-built from recycled post and beam materials. 

“Our builder helped us locate a pile of post and beams from a barn that had been taken down, and he connected us with a local craftsman who could put them back up,” Sharon said. 

The Malts worked with Boston-based ZEN Architects to create the gardens, pond and lawns surrounding the house. Sharon, who is on the board of the Native Plant Trust, is committed to using only native plants in the landscape. Landscaper John Sandri now maintains the property. 

“There is plenty of native plant material available,” Sharon said. “Native plants require less water, and we use mostly drip irrigation to save water.”

After 30 years of creating their oasis, the Malts are not planning any new projects on the property, and now spend their time enjoying their grandchild and German Shepherd “grand-dogs.”  They are also deeply involved in the region, especially in environmental causes.  Brad serves on the board of the Monadnock Conservancy,  and Sharon is on the board of the Garden Club of Dublin. 

“We’re in just maintenance mode now,” Sharon said. “We just love being here.”