Garden In The Hills by Elizabeth West - a book (strongly) recommended

[BeerHunter]

I'm probably preaching to the choir, but I have just finished reading this, and absolutely loved it. Warm and funny, but without pulling punches about hw hard a life it is.

For those unfamiliar, it's about a couple who bought a cottage in North Wales, and went off-grid, grew their own food, etc.

Garden In the Hills is a sequel, dealing with (unsurprisingly) their garden, what and how they grow. The first book is called Hovel In The Hills. It apparently covers them moving in and getting the cottage and outbuildings sorted (I've ordered a copy of this but it hasn't arrived yet.

Thought it may be of interest.

 

[Macaroon]

Thanks for this - I'll check them out

 

[Goatboy]

Sounds good and as I'm in the library at the moment I'll see if they have it. Cheers.

Have you read Lillian Beckwith's books on living in a croft in the Isle of Skye? Some may find them a wee bit twee these days but I enjoyed them no end.

 

[sandbender]

That looks interesting, I will look it up, thanks for posting.

 

[John Fenna]

I have "Hovel in the Hills" - a good read!
The Beckwith books are also worth a look

 

[boatman]

I have Hovel and The Patch in the Forest by her but had forgotten about Garden, ordered for a 1p from Amazon, thanks.

 

[Joonsy]

Another similar book is ''Hill Farm Story'', by Ruth Janette Ruck (sequel to her first book ''Place of Stones''). It’s about how she took over a Welsh Hill Farm in Snowdonia with practically no experience. She and her husband Paul Work (who was a professional mountaineer of the old school) became breeders of the Welsh Mountain Pony.