Get phantom planting today!

As soon as you get your B&M fruit trees or any other type of shop bought fruit tree that has it roots wrapped, the first thing you should do is remove all the plastic and cling film from around the roots and soak them in water for a few hours or even overnight.

After this you can wrap the roots back up in a plastic bag as airtight as possible and they could store for another week or 2, but best getting them in the ground soon as if you can.

If phantom planting on council property, sensible planting always, I'm not out to rub anyone up the wrong way, I'm out to convert and recruit!

Plant 5 metres from the roads and footpaths, not under any power lines and not inline with manholes or sewers.

Theres perfect empty grassy areas all over the country that could do with fruit trees, just have a look around.

And always go back and keep your tree tidy at the base, keeping it weed free and the grass cut so the council workers can cut around your tree with ease and leave the place tidy, take away any loose muck or stones that may have came out from digging.

You can also add a memorial tag to the tree for maybe a past loved one or in memory of someone that maybe lived close by to where you are phantom planting.

This will increase your trees chances of survival and help prevent vandals, most people do have a heart when it comes to things like this.

In the Belvoir estate South Belfast, home of the phantom planters HQ, over the years I've been taking different families out who have lost a loved one and got them involved in planting a fruit tree in memory of their past loved ones, now so many people in the estate have a connection to the trees and they will all be talking to their families and friends about the trees and so too will the kids hear what they are talking about and now what has been created in this estate is that everyone is respecting the trees!

I've had 2 trees vandalised out of over 500 fruit trees phantom planted so far and the two that got broken was mended and is now thriving again.

Its been amazing what has happened for me in this estate, I can thank all the Belvoir residents enough for respecting the trees and wanting to come out and get involved.

I will never forget one story of a man from the estate, he wanted 3 apple trees planted in memory of his past loved ones, he wanted them to be the biggest and best there was!

This was man who used to wheel and deal with my delboy dad and had never planted a tree in his life and probably couldn't tell you anything about trees but I got him the three biggest and best apple trees he wanted and he watched me plant them.

We got the trees planted and in the first year they produced apples, then someone picked the apples off, could have been kids, could have been the birds, who knows!

But he calls me up fuming saying, "Phantom someone has stole my apples" I was like, "man its a community orchard, some people will pick them" but thats ok I said to him, its best to take the fruit off in the first year to help produce a good root system.

He was not happy at all, he said, they are my f**king apples, see if I find out who took these apples they're in for it!

I couldn't stop laughing into myself listening to him giving off down the phone.

After the call I burst into laughter, I was loving this, for me this was a man that was never connected to nature in anyway, now all of a sudden these trees are precious to him and I bet he told loads of others in the estate what happened, spreading the word of trees! Even laughing writing this, still this man comes and sees his trees all the time leaving flowers at them and he's brought other friends down and I've planted trees for them too - These types of things are priceless for me, its my dream and life mission to connect people to trees in a very different way, I think all my wheeling and dealing past has been some form of training to bring me to what I'm doing now.

I get such a buzz out of watching people come back and visit their trees, its quite amazing to be honest!!

Just over 4 years ago before I setup the phantom planter I prayed and visualized this every day, I went and told a Tibetan Lama what I was planning, planted a juniper tree with him and got the phantom planter blessed. 

It's been quite the magical journey for me, right intention is so important behind your actions. A monk told me this, its so true, I believe right intention has been a big part of my dream coming true. My intention right from the start has been to help nature and help the community.

We are in a world where everything is about us which is dangerous for our souls, we are all interconnected and interdependent, we only exist because of nature and community. 

#phantomplanter #communityspirit #paramilitrees #phantomplanters #environmentalgraffiti #greengraffiti #plantatreechallenge #appletree #fruittree

Peace and love!

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

If you like what I do and share you can support me on the link below and help keep me planting and chanting. 

https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=FAJZHB3TBXMSL&source=url