One useful thing to buy from Gudrun Sjödén

As I write, the weather here in London is as close to perfect for an early spring day as is imaginable. There are no clouds in the sky, the sun is warm and the blossom is bursting out all over the place. Thoughts naturally turn in this house to ditching winter clothes for summer ones and plotting a month’s worth of weekends the garden. Which, as we all know, is delusional, because next week the rain will probably come back, temperatures will drop and the ground will be littered with rain-battered petals.

It’s too early to think of abandoning layers, but i have shelved my warm coat for a jacket, although an unexpected rain cloud or a sudden drop in temperature could ruin the look . No matter this year! As I have a very practical new addition to my outerwear wardrobe, this very light weight but durable 100% waterproof mac (£130) from Swedish designer Gudrun Sjödén It’s even made from organic cotton and although I love my navy blue version best, with its cheery tomato red lining, it also comes in a multitude of colours and patterns for those of you wanting a more uplifting cover-up. Perhaps the best thing about it is that it rolls up very small indeed and fits easily into my back pack for crisis weather management.

While I was in the Covent Garden store, I picked up a copy of the new catalogue, and who should be in there but our favourite gardener Alys Fowler, proving one can look very stylish while digging -in this case in her own garden in Birmingham. In this sunshine I would quite happily abandon everything to start planting and weeding and have to talk to myself very sternly to keep focussed on work ventures. How long can this lovely weather last do you think?