An international theme this week - apologies for weird formatting.

1. Walking into work today, I noticed some nicely ripening apples on a tree that arches over the pavement. Candidates for scrumping, I wondered. After all, a lot of fruit grown in urban gardens is just ignored by its owners - who, in the case of tree fruit, are unlikely to be the ones who planted the trees.
Enterprising community groups in the USA are now exploiting this often untapped resource, according to the New York Times. "A fruit tree is really made for sharing with your neighborhood," says one enthusiast.
Could it happen here?

2. What do you do when the previous occupants of your new place concreted over the garden, but you don't have the budget to turn it back into a "proper" garden?
San Fransisco-based CMG Landscape Architecture was honoured in this year's American Society of Landscape Architects awards for its Crack Garden, which revitalises one such space for a cost of just $500 (£300).

3. It's so obvious, it's amazing no one thought of it before. A zipper pond! Seen here in a museum garden in Taiwan.

4. Why would you want a solar-powered bird box? Why, to lure insects of course. An off-the-wall (boom, boom!) idea from Dutch designer Oooms; I wonder if there comes a point where you just make like too easy for the wildlife in your garden.

5. Back home, the spirit of Mary Whitehouse lives on... Who better to clean up TV, or at least, TV gardens, than Alys Fowler?
Fowler
Whitehouse

With thermometers plunging and showers forecast to continue, thank heavens the RHS has thought to warn visitors to this week's Hampton Court Palace Flower Show of the dangers of summer.

London mayor Boris Johnson points out in today's Telegraph that there are park benches in the capital sporting signs that warn "Seats may become wet" (he may have been reading this).

It would be nice if his office could do more to stem the tide of well-meaning but silly signage in public spaces. But I fear that for most managers, the fear of litigation will continue to outweigh the fear of ridicule.

Brighton-based artist Pete Dungey did a survery to find the best-known Alans (or Allens), then immortalised them on Allen keys. Fair play to One-Take Titchmarsh for topping what is quite a competitive category.