bit i wrote about Tolkins tree for the leys news

The Oxford Botanic garden says farewell to Tolkins tree.

A Black pine tree fondly called Tolkens tree by the staff at the garderns, had to be cut down after 215 year stay.
High winds on the 26th of July blew two branches of the giant crushing not only part of the wall but also a smaller weeping ash that was growing to the side of it.
This tree has fond memory’s for just about everybody in cluing myself, was I was saddened by loss.
I spoke to Jessica Law a Ticket Office staff member at the gardens and she said, ‘I heard a creaking noise and the ground shaking which was scary. Also there was a band playing under the tree,
The gardeners got everyone to move from the area and no one was hurt.’

The band that was playing a un-witing musical farewell to the tree was called
Kismet

Ironically Kismet means fate, and at 1pm that day fate determined that the tree would stand no more.

I e mailed Dr Alison Foster
Acting Director at the gardens to ask what they are planning to plant in the trees place? – and had the reply, ‘nothing in the immediate future – there will be a huge root plate still under the ground that will prevent replanting at the moment.’
I also asked Alison were there another interesting facts about it? – and she replied, ‘it is believed to have been grown from seed collected by John Sibthorp in Austria (he was the third Sherardian professor of Botany)’

Its not all sad news as the legacy will go on the garderns intend to propagate from this tree so that future generations will not miss out on this important link to Tolkien. They are considering using the wood from the black pine for an educational project.

Below are some links about the tree.

See http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/arts-blog/bo... and http://www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk/bo... for more details.