Cant beat a bit of Rascality!

 You know what makes phantom planting trees so exciting??

The fact you’re doing it without asking permission. Just like the squirrels, jays and the way nature does it. At the start I had a few constipated ecologists come off to me about the right place, right reasons, right tree and all that and you can’t plant there! 

I'm sure the squirrels and jays drive these people bonkers, they are the real phantom planters! Sometimes I wonder are some of them even connected to nature or did they just learn everything from a classroom and book. Nature does not ask permission to sow a seed!

It’s always on the back of my head though when phantom planting that some sort of official is going to land up and that I may have to put on my ‘gift of the gab’ spiel, that I quickly learned from a young age growing up with my delboy dad and tell them all sorts of porkies!

On one occasion an official landed up asking what we were doing planting trees and I said I was up from a tree planting charity with permission from the council. I already had one tree in the ground and the dude said to me, are you sure you were told to plant them there, as they are building here next month, ah no I said, I do this all the time getting the places mixed up, silly me!

He then pointed over to another field saying maybe they meant over there, he helped us dig out the tree and offered us cups of tea, it was so funny, he was then saying I don’t know how you managed to talk the council into planting fruit trees, I've been at them for years to do this, it’s your lucky day then I said to him!

The trees are still going strong to this day and I'm sure the dude has been scratching his head at times about what just happened, no doubt its been talked about back at the office!

On another occasion I was challenged about permission and the dude was going mad at me, saying I've been looking for you for over a year now, what do you think you’re at!!!

He must of heard about this crazy Buddhist dude planting trees and thought I was a flower power hippy type dude.

I then said to him this is a cross community prisoners scheme to help rehabilitate ex prisoners and get them connected to nature, I mentioned a couple of high profile names who I knew would back me up, one dude is very well known during the troubles here in Northern Ireland who really has gone from a Paramilitary to Paramili-Tree  and has been helping me out over the years planting trees, love this old boy, have a alot of respect for him! 

I know you'll be reading this, one of my best supporters!

After I mentioned these names the dude’s face dropped and all of a sudden he paused and then said, well are you planting anymore and to save you carrying all that water I must get you a key to that building there and you can help yourself to the water tap!

The people that were there with me me were like, WOW!!! Did you just see how that dude changed his tune!!! It was so funny!!!

One other time I was getting told off and I had just planted the tree and some council dude came over saying, who give you permission to plant that, I said do we need permission to plant fruit trees for kids to connect to nature and feed the homeless, he said well it may well get pulled out, I said well its in the ground now and its against Brehon law which is the true law of the Emerald Isle and the removal of a fruit tree carries a penalty of two and half milk cows in today's value, he didnt know where to look!!

All the trees are still standing!!

Anyhow guys its planting without permission that gives you the buzz, well it does for me anyway, I always loved a bit of rascality in my life and phantom planting trees keeps that rascal in me happy!

#phantomplanter #communityspirit #paramilitrees

Peace and love!

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