The Phantom Planter

 I've been eyeing up this big old hollowed out tree stump for sometime now thinking every time I pass it that one day I'm going to phantom plant an apple tree right inside it.  So yesterday I did just that and went and bought all the stuff needed to do it. Can believe how much compost the trunk took, 500 litres it was plus loads more branches and leaf litter we had to gather around the place to bulk it up.  We then went back that night to give it a good water and added a load of woodchip mulch.  I look forward to watching this grow.  My head wasn't feeling the best yesterday, was feeling a bit stumped!  But after phantom planting this apple tree I felt buzzing. I challenge you to phantom plant a tree  Peace and love  The Phantom Planter and Wee Betty

 Back in April 2021 we had a massive wildfire on the Mourne Mountains and hundreds of my phantom planted trees were destroyed.  This holly tree in the pic was one of the few survivors. Our local news paper did a story on it back then titled "Miracle of the Mournes".  Since then there has been another wild fire and yesterday I decided to take a walk up the mountains to have a look and see if this holly has survived again.  I couldn't believe my eyes. Talk about the Phoenix rising from the ashes! You can see the remnants of its old scorched self and the new growth coming out from below that.  Out of the hundreds of trees I had phantom planted here over the years I only managed to find 3 survivors. The other 2 were hawthorns aka fairy trees.  Still this place is pretty special to me and I dont regret any of it.  Many years ago when I was struggling with drink and drug addiction I used to buy loads of trees and just hit the mountain me and wee betty and ma...

 Great days work around The Phantom Planters Oak Spiral and The Phantom Planters HQ aka Belvoir Memorial Orchard.  We got some more cages made around the famous oaks at our spiral and give them a good weeding and tidy up.  I love how the baby big belly oak is growing with a belly in the same shape as its famous parent tree.  Do trees grow in the same shape as their parent trees is what I'm wondering as this one is doing just that.  Pic attached of the day me and wee betty went to get the acorns from the Big Belly oak back in November 2022.  I'll let you compare if baby belly is like big belly.  It was then down to The Phantom Planters HQ after were I have been making a start at checking over all the hundreds of fruit trees we have there. I've been going and clearing all the grass away from the trunks of the trees and giving them an all over visual health check.  You can see in one of the pics black bitumen paint on the trunk of one of the trees. A...

 These are a couple of real handy things for The Phantom Planters tree maintenance tool bag.  For days now I've been trying to think of a good bag or case to carry stakes, bamboo canes, spades, lump hammers and other long things that I use for phantom planting and it just came to me while up climbing Slieve Gullion mountain the other day that a golf bag would be perfect! Talk about inspiration from the mountain! This is a small golf bag but it will do for now. I do intend on getting a bigger one. I want a big old vintage leather one with a tripod stand. So if you have one and not using it drop me message.  Will be so handy when trekking long distances for phantom planting and looking after your trees.  The other little bottle with the brush attached to the lid, this is something else I've been wrecking my brain over for a long time now. You see when I go and do my regular annual checks of the trees if I see any canker which is a type of fungi disease that will spread...

 This day 4 years ago me and wee betty was at the Major oak aka Robin Hood oak in Sherwood Forest getting acorns from this magnificent tree that is now dead.  We were so lucky to get so many that year and we probably got the last acorns this oak tree will ever produce.  All of these acorns have now been grown up and planted around our Lisnabreeny Community Orchard.  I've been lucky enough to get acorns from a good few ancient trees that may not have much longer to live. The Magog Oak of Glastonbury and The Belvoir Oak of Belfast.  Both these trees have been slowly dying for many years now.  This makes The Phantom Planters Oak Spiral all the more special having these rare ancient oak genetics.  Its the time of year we should all be out gathering natures seeds and growing them up to phantom plant.  You want to do something good for nature and society?  Phantom planting trees is one of the positive actions we can do.  I challenge you to pha...

This is is curly willow or also known as a corkscrew willow tree that we phantom planted about 5 years ago.  I love when walking out and about and you see your phantom planted trees pop up unexpectedly.  I've phantom planted that many I cant remember where half of them are.  Good to see this one doing well though.  Why not phantom plant yourself a sneaky tree on your walks. Its a great buzz seeing it grow. And it will make you want to get out walking more regularly to check on your tree.  Bring a litter picker with you also and give your walks even more purpose I have walked myself fitter than I've ever been going round checking on my phantom planted trees.  You have no idea the connection, learning and mental stimulation you get from phantom planting trees.  I was saying to my mate last night as we were checking on trees that this really is a lifelong PHD I'm doing with tree planting.  I've planted so many different ways, with so many different v...