Why J.R.R. Tolkien Loved Trees

I always wondered why Tolkien wrote about trees so much.  He gave life to them and obviously cherished them.  Coming from the dry western United States, trees rarely impressed me.  Not until I went to England myself did I understand about the trees.  They are most wonderous!  I spent a week in the Lake District in the summer of 2010.  The trees there are just like they are in Tolkien's writing.  They are huge!  They have tangled roots that stretch across the ground and look like they could grab you at any moment.  It would not be hard to write about trees coming to life in England.  The picture below was taken in a village called South Nutfield.  My son tells me it is just like the scene from Fellowship of the Ring where Frodo calls out, "Get off the road!"  I think he is right.