The Phantom Planter

 88 apple trees phantom planted in a field.  This is something I have always wanted to do is phantom plant an island orchard of trees. One thing always put me off over the years was its a gamble if they will survive like this.  88 bare root apple trees would also cost a minimum of a thousand pounds plus all the extras in planting them. This is not something I could have afforded to take a gamble with over the years. So I grew my own heritage Irish apple trees and took the risk to phantom plant them in an island orchard just like I've always wanted and so far the council grass cutters and locals have been respecting this mini orchard that has been phantom planted for nature and community.  I could have sold these trees and did something nice for myself but what would be nicer than watching a phantom planted orchard thrive in the hood.  In society fixated on greed and passing pleasures at the expense of nature and our souls. Phantom planting trees is life! It elev...

 This is the Irish yew tree at the centre of The Phantom Planters Oak spiral.  I was out the other day giving it a good water and a mulch and its looking amazing! I'm in the process of gathering loads of Mourne granite rock which I'm going to built a circled wall around the Irish yew. Going to make this a real feature that will last for many lifetimes. Yew trees live for thousands of years with some saying they are immortal.  I also have some amazing news to report on the iconic oak collection that line the spiral. All 34 ancestors of the most famous oak trees in the UK and Ireland are all coming to life. I have had a 100% success rate. This place really is history in the making.  This is probably the only collection of its type in the world preserving the linage and genetics of the oldest of most iconic oak trees on these islands.  Here is the list of all the oaks we have. I've got 3 more to gather in the coming years to bring it up to the magic number of 37....

 Just got news I've been nominated for this BBC award!! Onwards and upwards for the Phantom Planters movement.  Hope theres many trees phantom planted from this.

 Me and wee betty were working away yesterday watering and mulching lots of the trees at the Lisnabreeny Community Orchard. The place is all looking amazing. What a valuable asset this will be for the community and nature in the years ahead.  600 apple trees could easily produce a million apples a year when they are all fully matured in about 10 years time. Thats a lot of apples for jams, juices, ciders or what ever else the community want to be doing with them.  The land will be put into a Trust so that in the years ahead when we are all gone it will always be kept for the community and nature.  I need all the help I can get financially guys to get the Trust setup, its not cheap all these things and not cheap either maintaining the orchard and oak spiral. Please do support on the link below.   https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=FAJZHB3TBXMSL The other day I seen a man out cutting the grass around a tree at our other main orchard The Phantom Plante...

 Love these 2 apple trees in flower right in the middle of an industrialised area of East Belfast.  I phantom planted these a few years ago and cant believe how well they are doing. I remember when I was planting these there was so many people tooting their horns with one girl stopping to ask could she get her pic taken with me.  Another person shouted out the car window "Up the Phantom Planters"!... UTPP!!!  So many phantom planted trees everywhere I go these days, they just keep on growing and getting better looking as the years go on. So soul enriching watching your environmental graffiti thrive like this.  Its also amazing what I'm actually learning just by sticking trees in the ground the right way up and observing them over the years.  I've gotten to know so much just by doing. I never was one for learning from books or videos. I have always learned by jumping in at the deep end and work it out from there with enthusiasm and optimism.  I have so ...

 This is Jimmy the apple tree. My first ever phantom planted tree right outside my family home where I was born and raised.  I can't believe how well Jimmy is doing. I never thought he was going to make it.  Around 11 years ago I planted Jimmy in waterlogged ground. I had never planted a tree in my life before. I just dug a hole and made sure it was the right way up.  We planted 2 that day. My dads mate planted the other.  I remember when we planted them and I named mine, I said to my dads mate are you naming yours?  He looked at me like I had 2 heads.  His didn't make it sadly and Jimmy struggled on for years.  After my dad passed away and I moved out of the estate I never went back down to see Jimmy much. Difficult seeing other people living in your family home. Went down once a few years ago and couldn't believe Jimmy was growing away. 7 years I'm gone from the street now and have only been down a few times since then.  Yesterday I went do...