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Then there's the Big Pond Dip, from , the third year they've had us delving into our garden ponds. Just one in ten ponds were in 'excellent' condition last year, with the full quota of dragonflies, breeding frogs and toads, water beetles and pond skaters. Most ponds scoring top marks were larger: as good an argument as any to expand the water in your garden.

Bizarre clip of the week is the vegetarians' cucumber-eating contest in Berlin to restore the good reputation of a vegetable wrongly accused of spreading E-coli through Europe (the culprit was in fact beansprouts). Eating 14 cucumbers in a row is clearly more difficult than you'd think.

Elsewhere on the web...
Been to ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Gardeners' World Live yet? Then you probably own one of those boxy plastic trolleys trundling around overloaded with plant purchases (or you're wondering whether you should).

Helen – aka – makes an impassioned plea for restraint. 'Simply awful' and in 'sickly colours', she bewails their tendency to crush toes and bash ankles. The internet has resonated with gardeners shouting 'hear, hear' ever since. The redoubtable is a lone voice for the defence - though she helpfully recommends manservants as alternatives.

We've known gardening is cool for a while, though it's taken a while for , ex Oasis bad boy, to catch on. Gossip of the week: he's taken up the trowel and is moving to a house with a garden.

But, I can exclusively reveal, he's been secretly gardening for ages. Last year he made a wildflower meadow and thatched at his Buckinghamshire mansion. Seems the story is morning glory, after all... (sorry, couldn't resist)

This week's good watch: ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ4's 'Botany: A Blooming History' on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ4 leads us through the maze of plant genetics.

Out and about...
It's Father's Day tomorrow – so here's a big thank you to all those dads out there who taught their offspring everything they know about gardening.

Loads of gardens offer free entry to fathers: in Rutland, formerly home to the nation's best-loved gardening dad, Geoff Hamilton, is holding a Father's Day barbecue (free beer is involved), while the in Carmarthenshire has live music.

In Essex, dads can enjoy a fine collection of classic cars alongside spectacular organic kitchen gardens at Audley End; and Devon, offers your dad the chance to use his traditional Father's Day socks in a very untraditional way.

Meanwhile at the , in Westminster, landscape architect and historian , gives an insight into that most royal of gardens, : the perfect appetiser if you're planning to go to the next month.

And at the , on Tuesday legendary garden designer is talking about his work on the extraordinary in Japan. Book early: it's this week's hot ticket.

Sally Nex is a garden writer and blogger and part of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Gardening team.

Read Sally Nex's Gardening Blog posts.