The seeds from pine cones not only establish the growth of new trees, but they are also a larder for wildlife.

Julia Donaldson’s ‘The Christmas Pine’ – an animated

Water the Phalaenopsis orchids, let them drain, then place them in your container. Use moss to fill in any gaps. Pines are conifer tress that belong to the Pinaceae family and Pinus genus. They are the only genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. Depending on the region, there are over 200 classes or subspecies of pine, with only 175 names accepted by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden on their list. Pine plants can be found in almost all areas of the world, including temperate and subtropical regions of both hemispheres. Pines can be distinguished by their bundled leaves. The needled leaves are often found in bundles of three to five together on a branch. Pines usually have fewer branches so it doesn’t seem as full or heavy as other trees. Skip to: How we tested the best artificial Christmas trees | How to choose the best artificial Christmas tree | How to choose the right size Christmas tree for your space | How to choose the best Christmas tree variety | Is an artificial Christmas tree more sustainable than a real one? | What artificial Christmas trees are already available to buy? Decorate the top of the moss with pine cones and baubles. You probably won't need to wire these into the display; just push them into the moss.

I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books. This little tree is actually a very important tree – one day it will become the huge Christmas tree which is displayed in Trafalgar Square in London. We follow the tree as it grows then is cut down, and taken to its new home in England, where it is decorated and enjoyed by thousands of people. This is the tree that won the coveted spot in my sitting room last Christmas, even convincing my husband - arch sceptic of artificial trees - that it was better than real. In my mind, Balsam Hill do the best luxury artificial trees (the brand was created after the founder had a family member with a tree allergy); the branches are designed based on clippings from real Nordmann Firs, with needles that are a dark waxy green on top, and gently curved to reveal a silvery underside–just like the real thing. The magic is in the PE moulded tips, and on this 7ft model there are 2,026 of them. Between the branches you can glimpse the trunk, which unlike some other models, has been designed to look like a real tree trunk to add to the naturalistic look. I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him). Pine cones in all shapes and sizes can be used to make characterful Christmas decor ideas for children, or more elegant designs to fill your home with holiday spirit.

Difference between Christmas Tree and Pine Tree Difference between Christmas Tree and Pine Tree

Spray twigs with eco-friendly gold paint and insert the twigs through the moss, between the orchids. Every year The Poetry Society commissions a poem, welcoming Norway’s gift of a Christmas tree to London’s Trafalgar Square as part of its Look North More Often project. This year’s poem, ‘The Christmas Pine’, is by Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo and a former children’s laureate. Key Difference: Christmas trees are usually evergreen conifers such as spruce, pine, fir and rarely cedar trees. Pines are conifer tress that belong to the Pinaceae family and Pinus genus. Displaying pine cones in tall glass votives is a wonderful Christmas styling idea for bringing height to displays on sideboards or for use on mantelpiece decor ideas, and by spraying them you can easily tie them in with the rest of your Christmas decor ideas.

You expect a good-looking tree from The White Company, where everything is done in a quietly chic way. New for this year, I found their artificial Symons tree was another great option with hyper-realistic branches in a very natural shade of green that really do resemble the real thing. One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading. My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes. You can buy pine cones for crafting that will have been cleaned and dried and ready for use. But if you prefer to collect your own, you'll need to take a few precautions to make sure your pine cone decorations are clean and won't mold. You'll want to be sure they are free from insects, too. Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.