A lovely idea at this time of year is to place a small potted and decorated Christmas tree outdoors for the birds. Alternatively, use an existing shrub in the garden. You can pick up pine cones on dog walks, or outings in the park, these make great feeders and are very easy to create.

Just gently work pieces from bird fat balls into the cone and wire them to hang on to the tree.

Oranges and lemons are very useful to create small hanging baskets for food. Just take a piece of the fruit, cut in half, scoop out the fruit flesh and then carefully push a large needle or skewer through either side of the half, thread with some ribbon or wire and knot it either side and them fill up with some bought bird food and hang on the tree. It will make a colourful addition to your plot and please the birds too.

You can also use a combination of nuts and dried fruits of your choice to create colourful garlands for the tree. Use a large needle, being extremely careful, threaded with fine wire or strong cotton, and thread the fruit and nuts into a garland as long as you require to decorate the tree. The end result, is a beautifully decked tree which is a real festive treat for the birds this Christmas.

Why not go one stage further and consider gathering some of the greenery from your garden, or on walks outdoors, to make your own festive wreath or table centrepiece.

READ MORE: Raid the garden for your Christmas decorations

In the past I’ve bought a couple of moss rings and tried my hand at creating a Christmas decoration that can be used as a table decoration or on the front door. Luckily, I have plentiful supplies of holly and ivy growing at Driftwood and I usually keep some of the lower branches from the Christmas tree to start it off.

You’ll need some pieces of wire and if your holly has no berries you can cheat by buying some red berries on wire to add to the finished wreath.

Start by wiring each piece of greenery you plan to use, holly, ivy and tree branches. Next up, work your way around the moss circle, carefully securing each piece with the wire to the moss circle by winding the wire around the frame, until it is covered with a mixture of the greenery.

You can also add in some of the pine cones you have left and even spray paint the cones gold or silver before adding.

Finish off with adding a wire hook if you plan to hang on the door.

Read more of Geoff’s garden at www.driftwoodbysea.co.uk