If your garden is embarrassing and you have visitors coming over Christmas, it’s time to get sneaky...

• Take a quick pic of your garden - it’ll help you spot the gaps. Then head to the garden centre for an instant fix – if you don’t have time to plant, just tuck the bigger potted stuff between the shrubs and keep them well watered. 
• Look out for Alstromerias, Impatiens and Sun Patiens (Impatiens for sunny spots) and Marguerite daisies - great gap fillers. 
• Your greatest weapons are pots! They can help you master the art of distraction, drawing the eye away from the ugly bits. Producer Tania was telling me about some gorgeous edible ones she’d seen using lettuces, which is a great idea.  Try these Christmas-y combos:
• white allysum round the edge, then a ring of lettuces, then some bright red chard in the middle giving you some height and colour.
• a cute shrub tomato (Red Robin is a good one) in the middle with curly parsley and sage around the edges. You could throw in some red lettuces too.
• Chillis in the middle surrounded by little rosettes of Buttercrunch lettuce, and white flowering thyme and strawberries dangling over the edges
• Endless possibilities, but super quick, fun to do and really impressive looking.
• Empty pots? Pop in some lavender or white petunias for instant impact.
• Deadhead your roses and perennials, mow the lawn and trim your lawn edges – the garden equivalent of a good haircut.
• Give everything a really good watering, and if you have the time, get some mulch down.
• Sometimes there's junk lying around that's been there so long you don't even notice it anymore. Cast a critical eye – then stuff it all behind the shed, sweep the deck or patio, put a potted poinsettia on the outdoor table and you're good to go!