Hug a Tree

You cannot hug any old tree – it has to be this London Plane. Any questions?

Now you know where Kyabram is. If you cannot get to Victoria and don’t have arms longer than an orangutan you will be unable to hug it. The tree was planted around the time the house was built in 1907 and has flourished. Here’s its story told by Oak Dene’s owner, architect Alan Higgs:

“As you may know, I have an old house at Kyabram in rural Australia.  Oak Dene, built in 1907 entirely of corrugated iron, was an important place in my growing up, and in the development of my sensibilities and values as an architect.  In its garden is a magnificent London Plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia) – nearly 30 meters high and with a striking horizontal bough formation. The National Trust of Australia maintains a register of Significant Trees and this has long featured ours.  This month however is Australian Heritage Month and the tree has made the shortlist of Victorian Tree of the Year.

We would dearly love to win this accolade, which the tree deserves, but to do so will need your help.  The link below takes you to a Facebook page from where you can go to the National Trust site for images of the shortlist.  Assuming that you agree that ours is the finest and wish to vote, you need to like our tree on the Facebook post.  In addition, please share this with your friends and ask them to like the picture, not your post itself.  If you don’t use FB, please ask someone who does to cast your vote. If you are minded, please forward this email to any connections you have who may be interested.  Going viral when referring to an old tree isn’t normally a good outcome, but this time we need it!  Voting closes on May 18^th.

https://www.facebook.com/NationalTrustVictoria/photos/a.230514770359863/2092766284134693/?type=3&theater

The website for the property generally is www.oakdenekyabram.com”

Join me in rooting for this magnificent specimen tree.