Ronald Lampitt, often known as one of the ‘Ladybird Artists’, was an English artist born in Worcestershire in 1906. He spent much of his life in Kent and he loved the Kent countryside. He illustrated many Ladybird books, railways posters, and various pictures for John Bull, Readers’ Digest and Look and Learn magazines.

He didn’t receive any formal art training although he was offered a place at the Slade Art School. However, his father refused to allow him to go,and he told him to get a ‘proper’ job. Ronald didn’t do that and so, instead, he worked as a commercial illustrator.

These three illustrations, above, are from The Whitbread calendar, 1958, ‘In the Garden’.

Meanwhile…in our garden..and in the greenhouse…

At last a few more pots of seeds have germinated; they’ve been quite slow this year!  However, my Sweet Peas came up quickly as did the Borage and the wild flower seeds that I sow every year…a good perennial mix with no grass. Amazingly they came up in three or four  days!

The rhubarb is looking good.

And the Honesty has been very tall and stately!

When we were at Fast Rabbit Farm, I bought this Aeonium; I discovered a large pot behind some shrubs and one can’t leave a pot empty, can one?!

To our delight, we inherited a tree fern when we moved here and this too is looking lovely.

Nearby, is an old stone container; so far, I’ve planted a Brunnera, a periwinkle and some thyme.

The pond is beginning to look as if it’s always been here…

I think this says it all, really: