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The mini-greenhouses are the prototypes for a giant pod to grow spuds and tomatoes, among other things, on the moon. As well as food, water and oxygen, it will also provide space-age gardening therapy for astronauts in need of some greenery after months away from Earth.

As gardeners know all too well, Britain is becoming overrun with aliens: they've practically booted out the remaining earthlings from , off the coast of Dorset.

We're talking , of course, among the most invasive non-native weeds to reach our shores. After a decades-long battle on the 1km square nature reserve, volunteers are down to the last one. A raffle decides who gets to chop it down.

And finally, wallabies have been joined by raccoons on our growing list of potentially troublesome garden pests. One turned up in a garden in Hampshire this week, but they've been sighted all over the UK from Clackmannanshire in Scotland to . These creatures are legendary in their native USA for the damage they cause in gardens. Squirrels, shmirrels: you ain't seen nothing yet.

The first spades have cut turf at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show and the pressure's on before the gates open in just over a week's time.

The showpiece Edible Garden, staged by award-winning designers Jon Wheatley and Amanda Foy is ; while , conjuring up an upside-down garden while hoping her twins - due any minute - stay put for a while, has been feeding her team cake and spending a lot of time walking to the lavatory.

Quite the most extraordinary thing I've heard this week is Chris Watson's recording of what it sounds like in your garden pond. He stuck some microphones into a pool at , the Welsh nature reserve that's home to Springwatch, and found untold numbers of insects making a right racket, especially a particularly rowdy bunch of lesser water boatmen. And I thought ponds were such peaceful places.

There's just time to get to the Plant Finders Fair in Northamptonshire this weekend - widely regarded as the best plant fair in Britain. As well as the fair there are talks by the likes of Stephen Lacey, Helen Yemm and Derry Watkins, and the sumptuous gardens of Cottesbrooke Hall itself to explore. Leave plenty of time to get there - word has it queues to get in are epic.

If that's not enough, the at Arley Hall in Northwich, Cheshire, is this weekend too. Display gardens, plant nurseries and a floral marquee make this a superb pre-Hampton Court hors-d'oeuvres: look out for , visiting today.

Also this weekend at is holding its annual summer fete, complete with welly wanging, cream teas and some of the country's top gardeners. Today it's designer Diarmuid Gavin, fresh from his Chelsea gold medal, with the mischievously-titled 'Adventures with the RHS'; and tomorrow James Wong, of 'Grow Your Own Drugs', talks on Incredible Edibles - complete with exotic tasting sessions.

Sally Nex is a garden writer and blogger and part of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Gardening team.

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