For forcibly displaced people, gardening can change everything
Growing things isn’t just about food. It’s about identity, community and finding hope in the most difficult of circumstances.
Make a donationSee our work in action: Watch how gardening is transforming lives in refugee and IDP camps
Since 2015, Lemon Tree Trust has worked with forcibly displaced communities to create gardens, grow food and transform refugee and IDP (internally displaced people) camps into greener, more connected places to live.
Through seeds, plants, tools, knowledge and community gardens, we give people the means to grow and come together. We also plant and distribute trees, helping to green sprawling camp settlements – accidental cities home to thousands of families.
Our community gardens give displaced families access to fresh food, a place to learn and grow, and a space to connect with their neighbours.
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Celebrating the creativity, passion and dedication of gardeners in refugee and IDP camps through joyful annual competitions and monthly awards.
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We grow and distribute thousands of trees, plants and seedlings to families across refugee and IDP camps, creating greener, more liveable neighbourhoods.
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Gardens are not a luxury
For survivors of war, a garden offers what displacement so often takes away: beauty, belonging and a place to feel at home. In camps that have grown into cities almost overnight, green space is scarce and precious.
Imagine those same streets transformed. Trees giving shade, flowers at doorways, families growing their own food and neighbours gathering to chat. Gardens like these feed families, support mental health and rebuild community after loss.
Help us grow more of them
Chelsea Flower Show 2018
Designed by Tom Massey, our RHS Chelsea garden celebrated refugee resilience, earned an RHS Silver-Gilt Medal and brought our work to a global audience.
“This garden is more than just food. It’s a space where we leave
our burdens behind, recharge emotionally and even save a little income.”
– Ibtisam Ahmad Hassan, gardener
Hêvî Community Garden, Gawilan camp, Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Watch gardener stories
Growing change, one garden at a time
20,000 kg
of fresh vegetables grown each year
By more than 100 families across our two community gardens in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
95,000
people living in 9 refugee and IDP camps
Had access to monthly garden competitions that bring communities together
150,000
trees and plants distributed since 2016
Greening neighbourhoods in displacement camps and host communities
You can help plant seeds of hope
Hope needs the right conditions to grow. You can help provide them. Whether through a donation, a partnership or simply spreading the word, your support gives displaced families the means to rebuild.
Host a plant sale, garden party or dedicate your birthday to our work. Every pound raised puts seeds, tools and knowledge into the hands of families who need them. Check out our fundraising ideas to get started
From £50 for seeds and tools to £5,000 to help create a healing community garden, every gift goes directly to gardening activities in refugee and IDP camps. Donate now
If you represent a trust, foundation or are interested in making a significant gift, we’d love to hear from you. Your support could help us reach more families and put the means to grow into more hands. Get in touch to start a conversation
Some of our most impactful work has been built through partnership, including creating community gardens from the ground up. If you share our belief in the power of growing, get in touch to explore what we could build together. Get in touch
The families we work with have extraordinary stories. Sharing our work costs nothing but can change everything. Read our blog post on six non-financial ways you can support our work
Lemon Tree Trust supporter Katie Cox recently raised £1,000 for our work, plus £250 in Gift Aid, by organising an arts and crafts fundraising event at her home and in her garden. Katie is pictured above wearing a rather fabulous green shirt covered in lemons. Katie’s donation was made during our Tree & Plant Appeal, … Continued
This spring, we launched our 2026 Tree & Plant Appeal with a target of £30,000 / $39,500 USD to help us grow and distribute trees and plants, both ornamental and productive, to families and communities living in refugee and internally displaced people’s camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Thanks to the incredible generosity of … Continued
We are pleased to share an update on our work during the first eight months of 2026, with a special focus on our work with children across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Syria. This year, we have placed a particular focus on the next generation of gardeners, creating more opportunities for children and young … Continued