Gardening: Jobs to do

Final touch-up

Friends and relatives may be turning up any day now to eat mince pies and cast a critical eye over your garden, so give your beds a final, pre-Christmas weeding.

Keep hydrated

Water like mad and then spread a good load of mulch - it'll help to keep the moisture in the soil while you're busy over Christmas, and it'll make everything look smart.

A good scrub

Clean tiles and decks to get rid of moss and mould, and deal with rust marks and the like made by outdoor furniture.

Sow some veges

Leeks, cauliflower, broccoli, silver beet, onions, spinach and celery can all be planted now.