Like you Sam, I love trees/forests/and all that they encompass, and have many fond memories of tree houses (platforms) and vine swinging. When I read the part about Lorien, I found it delightful and wished that there had been more written about it, and the elves.
I was surprised that PJ made the Lorien so dark and forbidding. When I read it, I read "Golden Woods" and was enchanted, not at all feeling the woods gloomy or scary. The visit to Lorien was one of the really enjoyable spots for me- much like the time spent with Goldenberry and Tom.
Yes, it suddenly and delightfully seems that an awful lot of us feel this way. It's very nice to find it out. I guess it's pretty clear that Tolkien did also, it's quite wonderful that he could illustrate his love for trees and forests through stories about such beings as elves, as well as various dark creatures.