Posts

Lets get making our streets and estates into urban orchard for everyone to have free fresh food!

Love these kids!

Image
 These pics were sent to me a few months ago from kids who were out collecting acorns for me from a special ancient oak tree. I love this, really brightens up my day when families go to so much effort to help me out with my oak spiral project. Really is a dream come true for me how the Phantom Planter has spread around the world. All the acorns that were collected and sent to me are germinating as we speak. I've probably got one of the most precious acorn collections in the world and its all thanks to the Paramili-Tree SAS Branch (Special Acorn Service). Its amazing how what you think and write can uplift you. I got up this morning feeling bit groggy, think the weather is taking its toal. So I started looking through some of my pics and seen these kids out getting acorns for me and it really elevated my mood. Then as I write about it my mood is elevating even more. Its so true that what we fill out minds with will determine how you feel. I cant handle some of the fear people spread...

Meet our oldest phantom planter!

Image
 This is our oldest phantom planter on the team and one of my best mates. He has came with me on so many phantom plantings and he was even on the BBCs Stephen Nolan show with me. 89 years old he is now and every day I go and see him. About 8 years ago I met him at the garage struggling to put air in his tyres, I offered to help him and me being me I couldn't shut up about the Buddha, yoga, trees and how it changed my life! He thought I had told him that I was into judo, so he got home and decided to try and find me to thank me for what I done that day by contacting some judo clubs in Belfast looking for a tree planting Buddhist, he had no luck! Around about that time I had a tree of mine cut down and the stump discarded over a fence and the rest shredded. I was devastated at this and went to the papers with this story! My old mate was sitting reading the paper one day and there was me in the paper holding my decapitated tree stump. He contacted the paper to get my details and we ha...

Great weekend planting and chanting

Image
 Been none stop phantom planting over the weekend.  From Buddhist monasteries to the Buddhahood.  Please help keep me planting and chanting!  My begging bowl account 👇👇👇👇 https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=FAJZHB3TBXMSL This is my life now guys and I dont get funding for what I do. Your support means a lot to me. And if you cant help me I challenge you to phantom plant a tree! Peace and love  The Phantom Planter and Wee Betty

Planting trees at Buddhist Monastery

Image
 Planted 7 Cavan variety apple trees yesterday down at Jampa Ling Buddhist Monastery in County Cavan. They were Cavan Sugarcane, Cavan Newington and Cavan Rose. I grew and grafted these trees from old apple trees that I took cuttings from last year in the County Cavan area. So pleased to bring some of them back down and plant in their native homeland. It meant a lot to me to have these planted here at Jampa Ling, and what a spot I got for them, right out the back of the main house. I look forward to watching these grow for the rest of my life. Thank you to the head gardener for your time yesterday and to the French volunteers who were staying there that helped out. Jamp Ling is a pretty special place for me, never did I think 10 years ago when I stumbled across here drunk after jumping off a Viking boat that I would be running around planting all these trees and spreading the word of the Buddha. This place has had a profound magical effect on me. I've went from street hood selling ...

The authorities want my trees removed

Image
 Under Brehon Law the ancient law of Ireland, the removal or damage to a fruit tree that feeds the community carries a penalty of two and half milk cows. I'm being challenged at the minute from the authorities about one of my orchards, I'm in discussions with them here to try and sort this matter. They want my trees removed and have said they will inform the police of this if I dont and I could get arrested. I said the above Brehon law quote to them which I am more than happy to use the courts as platform to make aware of this ancient law and to promote phantom planting. I have been arrested for so many things in the past, but to be arrested for tree planting, I would love that! Its sad, right now we are seeing the some of worst rain we have ever seen. Our land is being swamped and so many studies are suggesting that its all to do with lack or trees. Trees push the water deep down into the ground and they are holding our land together. We keep cutting them down and building mor...

345 apple trees planted!

Image
 345 apple trees we have planted within the last couple of months with another 122 to go. We would have had all of them planted long ago but this weather has really slowed us up. Our new Lisnabreeny Community Orchard is officially full with around 500 heritage Irish apple trees planted over the past couple of years. The other 122 apple trees I have left I'm just going to phantom plant around the place. I have a large group of kids coming out this Sunday with me and they are all going to be phantom planting a tree each. I have set aside lots of masks for them too. Get them all signed up young! They are our future. You know when I walk around the place and see apple trees we phantom planted many years ago towering over me it makes me think that all the ones that didnt make it was worth it. I was standing checking out this massive perfect phantom planted apple tree the other day and I was thinking to myself that even if all the rest didnt make it and with all the years of work this on...

My apple trees coming out of dormancy!

Image
 My Mrs Perry apple tree cuttings are just beginning to come out of dormancy. I took these cuttings on January 14th and they started to show signs of tiny green shoots a couple of days ago. So just under 3 weeks for them to come out of dormancy early using an LED lit propagator. If these work and root ok I have plans to go back to this Mrs Perry self rooting apple tree and take many more cuttings. These cuttings can be kept dormant in the fridge for another few months. I can then take them out and root with this method I'm using and have a steady supply of apple trees coming. This is my own experiment going on here, I have not seen this method used before with apple trees. Well to be honest it was the Emerald Isles oldest oak tree that told me. About a month ago I was meditating at this old oak and the thought came into my head that I must try and grow apple trees using the same method as them funny plants people grow in their bedrooms. It was a light bulb moment right at this oak ...