17 degrees

Tomorrow promises to be 17 degrees with bright sunshine, a perfect day for taking the top down and driving out into the countryside. First though, I'm going to meet up with Katharine who is on a dietary mission this week and can only consume grapefruit juice from what I can gather. I fancy a wander through the Lanes in search of a spring skirt.

I fully intend to spend the afternoon speeding off into the sunlight, sunglasses on and wind in my hair. I need to stock up on bedding plants so will be trawling nurseries and garden centres looking for plants which will do well in the current hosepipe ban.

Firle Place opens more of its gardens on Sunday as part of the National Garden Scheme, so I intend to head out there once I've leisurely soaked up the newspapers. Borde Hill Gardens and Wakehurst Place are holding bluebell weekends, so if I have time I will pop along to one and wade through the carpets of soft purple flowers.

I have that yearning for wide open spaces, long grass and lush green as far as the eye can see. Birdsong and picnics, that's what I need.