There are many reasons to love trees. Allan Jenkins traces the roots of his obsession back through his family
I grow trees by northern seas: baby beech and birch, pines and larch (maybe my favourite tree, certainly the fastest). I blame my foster dad. Dudley Drabble was obsessed with making his mark. It mostly worked. He loved to reclaim land, to turn fields into something more fruitful. He lined pathways with poplar and laburnum. He had 200 baby Christmas trees. He planted a small orchard. He had a thing for cherry blossom.
Dad was almost uncomfortable with ‘wild’. My palette is smaller, my ambition different, but we share some of the same obsessions. He had Devon; I have Denmark. There are echoes there. Of family, kids, white sand, blue sea.