Jimmy is thriving!

 Jimmy the apple tree is thriving, I cant believe it!

This is the very first tree I ever phantom planted around 8-9 years ago outside my family home where I was born and grew up!

From my delboy dad passed away 4 years ago I have never felt I could go back down into the street, just to see a new family in the home I grew up in is pretty tough for me but I went down once a few years ago to see Jimmy the apple tree and it was still there struggling as usual!

But after going down and seeing it 2 days ago I couldn't believe it how well its doing!!!

This apple tree has struggled from day one, I had no idea what I was doing, it was planted in a really waterlogged area and I didnt even loosen up any of the soil around it, I just cut a hole the exact same size of the pot and dropped the tree in the hole.

I never asked anyone or looked up for any advice, I just stuck it in the ground the right way up!

I had planted 2 apple trees at the same time with my delboy dads old mate, he planted one and I planted one, I asked him after we planted what are you going to call yours, you gotta give the tree a name I said, he looked at me as if I was mad, I named mine Jimmy and sadly his didnt make it, maybe because it was not given a name! 

This is pretty special tree for me, I cant thank enough for who ever is looking after it, adding mulch and staking it up, its looking so healthy, its taken a long time to get to where it is now but its thriving now alright!

I've added a pic of how jimmy looked 3 years ago when I went down for a look, you can see even back then it was really struggling, for years and years it struggled like this, every year it put out a tiny flower and a few sets of leaves which fell off really quick, it was always like it was on its last breath but someone has been showing this tree a bit of love and the fact it was given a name has kept Jimmy alive and now look at him!!!

It was the best feeling ever seeing Jimmy so healthy the other day, really appreciate the fact its been respected like this, I really should go back and see everyone in the street again, just the last six months leading up to my dads passing I experienced some really tough situations, some of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with along with loosing my delboy dad.

But them tough times and the people that caused it drove me to where I am now, they played their part in making the new me and as I hated them at the time I can honestly say if I seen them in the street again I would thank them, "out of a muddy pond blooms a lotus flower"...

Sometimes we dont see it but there has to be destruction for there to be renewal..... We can go down with the mud or we can use it to support our new roots of the new you! 

I had the best memories in this street, you never knew what you were going to see driving in to it, my delboy dad had it filled with everything, pallets of cigs and booze, lorry loads of singing santas and dancing snowmen that sung in a Belfast accent,( I dont know where he got these from but he came across some really funny things), every person my delboy dad sold to he said the same thing, " now dont you tell anyone the prices im selling this to you for, thats a special price just for you, keep that to yourself now"

I got a bit fed up hearing this over the years but most people believed it, they were away thinking they got the best bargain ever...

Then when I started driving I had a mobile pound shop and chippy van in the street, it was all happening down in our wee street!

Anyhow guys, always name your tree and show it some love, this means more than anything when phantom planting!!! 

#phantomplanter #communityspirit #phantomplanters

Peace and love!

I challenge you to phantom plant a tree! Anywhere, anytime, any place.....

If you'd like to support the phantom planter on his mission in turning streets and estates into urban orchards so everyone can have free fruit please click on the paypal link below or you can send it by bank transfer,, thank you....

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