40-50 Pine Cones

Fir cones (or pine cones) are the woody fruiting body and reproductive organ of pine trees. 

The way it works is that once pollinated the tree’s female cones develop as the seeds mature. The individual groves on the pine cone are called scales (and they do look like fish scales) and they keep the seeds secure and sheltered from the weather and predators until they have matured and it’s warm and dry – when they then open enough to release the seeds to grow into new trees.

Pine cones develop on several tree species here in the UK including Black Pine and Scots Pine - and if you ever get a chance to go to Andalusia in Spain look out for some whoppers – the Stone Pine produces cones about 15cm long.

Top Three Uses at home for your Wiggly Fir Cones.

1. Decorate your home

Fir cones are fabulous at Christmas and beyond. For a simple display place some in a bowl or vase – with or without fairylights. They bring the outdoors in, have a forest scent and look even better with a few mini baubles or satsumas… For the more creative types you can make table place names, wreaths, and garlands. In our world natural is best but if you like glitter and paint enjoy yourself and go wild J

2. Help your wildlife garden

Adding your pine cones to your bug hotel is a great way to provide a sheltered habitat for all sorts of bugs and beasties and in particular ladybirds love them. They also make a great mulch – whole or broken up – and they are a slug deterent as well! For the keen wildlife gardener make a pine cone birdfeeder <https://www.rspb.org.uk/globalassets/downloads/documents/kids-and-schools/make-a-pine-cone-bird-feeder.pdf>

3. To light the fire or woodburner

Many of us are likely to use our open fires and woodburners even more this year – especially if we have an inexpensive source of wood. Farmer Phil always that firewood keeps you warm three times. You get warm when you cut it, warm when you split and stack it and then finally warm when you burn it. Anyway, you can mix wax with your pine cones if you like but if like me you keep things simple fir cones make a great fire starter instead of kindling. A totally unmanufactured way of helping light the fire and they look great in a box in your hearth (Obviously if you have a Labrador this won’t work as they take them and crunch them up on a daily basis…)