Lemon Tree Trust - transforming refugee camps one garden at a time

Transforming lives, one garden at a time

Gardening is more than planting seeds – it’s a path to healing, connection and opportunity.

Help us create green spaces in refugee and IDP camps that inspire belonging, restore dignity and provide food security.

Donate today

Lemon Tree Trust transforms refugee and IDP (internally displaced people) camps through the power of gardening.

We implement gardening initiatives in displaced communities, creating employment and restoring cultural identity, dignity and purpose.

By providing seeds, plants, community gardens and competitions, we empower communities from the ground up.

Learn more about our work.

Community gardens

Find out about our community hubs where gardeners grow food for vulnerable families, learn new skills and socialise.

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Competitions and awards

Learn how our annual home garden competitions and Garden of the Month award helps promote the benefits of gardening.

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Chelsea Flower Show 2018

Explore our garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 where we brought our refugee work to a new audience.

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Growing hope in your inbox, one email at a time 🌱

Thanks to recent feedback from our amazing supporters (🙏), we’ve refreshed our newsletter’s format and switched to a once‑a‑month schedule, so it’s easier than ever to stay connected to the gardens you help grow.

Join us for a monthly dose of grounded, garden‑grown hope from refugee and IDP camps. Each photo‑rich email shares how displaced families grow food, build community and connection, and rebuild dignity. And how your support makes it possible.

Subscribe today and every month you’ll receive:
🌱 A personal story from one of our gardeners or communities
🥕 A quick snapshot of the impact you’re helping make happen
🌍 Behind‑the‑scenes project updates
🤝 Ways you can help grow gardens (and hope)

Hope grows wherever a seed is planted – let’s plant more together in displaced communities 🌍💚

👉 Tap the link in our bio to sign up before the April edition lands next week.

#GrowingHope #GardeningForGood #RefugeeGardens #CharityNewsletter #PlantingFutures #OneGardenAtATime

March Garden of the Month winners – congratulati

March Garden of the Month winners – congratulations! 🏆🌸🌿

We’re excited to celebrate another group of brilliant home gardeners from nine refugee and IDP (internally displaced people) camps across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Through hard work and creativity, they’re creating green spaces that brighten up their homes and neighbourhoods.

Take a look at this month’s fantastic winning gardens 👉

Each winner receives a plaque, a mix of seeds and a fruit tree to keep growing and greening their space.

🌱🍊 What catches your eye in these gardens? Let us know in the comments!

#GardenOfTheMonth #OneGardenAtATime #WithRefugees #WithIDPs #VerticalPlanting #GrowingHome

Spring vibes! March highlights from the Azadî Com

Spring vibes! March highlights from the Azadî Community Garden 🌸🌿

March brought colour, community and celebration to our flagship garden in Domiz 1 camp, Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

🥬 Abundant produce – our dedicated gardeners are carefully cultivating a stunning range of spring produce. The garden is thriving!

🔥 Newroz celebrations – we came together to celebrate the Kurdish New Year in style: traditional clothes, dancing and the lighting of the Newroz torch.

🍞 Bread making – Syrian flatbreads or 'khubz' are a taste of home and extra loaves are shared with vulnerable families in the camp.

🐢 A surprise visitor – a tortoise wandered into the garden! An unexpected but very welcome guest among the greenery.

What are some of your recent garden, food or nature highlights? 🌿👇

Here’s to more growth and joy in April!

#CommunityGarden #Newroz #SpringInDomiz #Kurdistan #WithRefugees #GardeningForGood #GrowTogether

Look at the garden grow! 🌱✨ Just a few weeks

Look at the garden grow! 🌱✨

Just a few weeks ago, we planted the first vegetable and herb seeds in our new community garden in Gawilan camp. The garden's name is Hêvî, which means 'hope' in Kurdish.

And now, the raised beds are bursting with green!

From crisp lettuce and rocket to fragrant parsley and flavourful onions, our gardeners’ hard work is paying off 🥬🧅🌿

The joy of growing is in full swing and the garden is becoming a true gathering space. The pastel-painted benches are a favourite spot for resting and chatting, while the bakery house continues to bring the community together over freshly baked bread 🍞😋

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported this journey so far. This is just the beginning and we can't wait to see what the coming weeks bring!

What’s thriving in your own garden right now? Drop a 🌱 in the comments and let us know!

#HêvîCommunityGarden #GrowingTogether #CommunityGardens #GreenSpaces #GrowingHope #WithRefugees #OneGardenAtATime

Congratulations to these Garden of the Month winne

Congratulations to these Garden of the Month winners! 🏆🌹🌱

We’re thrilled to celebrate the creativity, effort and dedication of gardeners across camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. These inspiring individuals are transforming their spaces into greener, more vibrant environments, making their neighbourhoods more beautiful and full of life.

Here are details of the outstanding winning home gardens:

1. Gawilan camp: Nadia Hussein Osman. A vibrant courtyard garden with flower beds bursting with orange and green.

2. Domiz 1 camp: Najah Osman Osman. A compact yet striking garden filled with an impressive variety of roses.

3. Essian camp: Yana Fahad Mashko. A fantastic space featuring well-established trees and a colourful mix of flowers and plants — a perfect spot for family time outdoors.

4. Kabartu 1 camp: Ahmed waadallah Khalil. An inspiring showcase of agricultural diversity, full of life and growth.

5. Domiz 2 camp: Adnan Aziz Bader. A beautifully organised garden featuring a mix of plants, a green lawn and a creative roof made from branches.

6. Khanki camp: Murad Haji. A tidy and thriving garden, lush and green even in the winter months, with a wide variety of trees and plants.

7. Kabartu 2 camp: Ronaida Hassan Murad. This garden combines ornamental flowers and fruit trees, bringing beauty and productivity together.

8. Bersive 1 camp: Osman Qasim Hajji. A stunning garden, inside and out, with roses creating a peaceful and harmonious space.

9. Bersive 2 camp: Shatha. A small but wonderful garden outside her shelter – a perfect example of how to make a big impact with a compact space.

Each winner receives a special plaque, a variety of seeds and a fruit tree to support their gardening journey.

🌿🍋 What do you love most about these gardens? Share your thoughts in the comments!

#GardenOfTheMonth #OneGardenAtATime #WithRefugees #WithIDPs

435 trees and plants on the move! 🌱🌳🍇 We

435 trees and plants on the move! 🌱🌳🍇

We’ve sent a variety of trees and plants from Azadî Community Garden in Domiz 1 camp to Hêvî Community Garden in Gawilan camp.

These include acacia (mimosa), chinaberry, sweet-scented geranium, aloe vera, grapevine, fig, lavender, santolina and rosemary – all grown with care by our Azadî team. A big thanks to Pala and Shalal for their hard work!

In Hêvî, Othman, Roken and our gardeners have been busy planting these around the outskirts of the garden and along the fencing. We can’t wait to see them thrive and bring even more green to the space!

✨ What’s your favourite plant or tree? Let us know in the comments!

#CommunityGarden #GrowingHope #GreenSpaces #HeviGarden

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Hêvî Community Garden update, spring 2025: Growing together

The Hêvî Community Garden in Gawilan camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq continues to grow, both in greenery and in community impact. ‘Hêvî’, meaning ‘hope’ in Kurdish, remains a fitting name for this space, which brings people together to cultivate not only produce, but also connection, purpose and resilience. Gawilan camp is home to … Continued

Greening accidental cities through sustainable gardening

Refugee and IDP (internally displaced people) camps are created quickly, out of urgent need. But many become long-term homes for the people who live there. Over time, these settlements evolve into what we might call accidental cities – dense, complex urban environments that are rarely planned for the long term. As Earth Day approaches, we’re … Continued

Planting seeds for the future: Your thoughts, our next steps

We recently invited our incredible community of supporters to share their thoughts on our work, impact and future direction. Your feedback has been insightful and inspiring, helping us shape our next steps. Thousands of displaced people have found hope, healing and dignity through gardening, thanks to your support. But as we look ahead to the … Continued

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