Gardening has the power to positively address issues of isolation and mental health. 

For displaced people globally, the simple act of gardening produces beauty, restores dignity, creates community and offers opportunity.

Transforming refugee camps and communities, one garden at a time

Since 2015, the Lemon Tree Trust has supported refugees and communities of forced migrants, to create home and community gardens, garden competitions and education projects. 

Working with like-minded organisations and partners, we empower people from the ground up to improve their wellbeing and their environment, with a particular focus on women coming together as a community to affect change.

“I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard I could have a garden here… We’ve all been displaced and are suddenly living in a desert without trees… I see life in this garden. It cleans the air and gives people hope.”

– Ahmed Tamo, Domiz 1 camp, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Our vision 

Our long-term vision is to bring gardens and gardening initiatives to every refugee camp and community of forced migrants in the world.

Our activities are focused on four main impact areas:

1. Improving mental health and wellbeing
2. Community building and women’s empowerment
3. Improving local environments
4. Independent access to fresh food 

We do this by supporting people to build home gardens, supporting communities to build community gardens (both ornamental and productive) and supporting women-led agriculture and horticulture initiatives and small businesses.

“For the people we work with in refugee communities, gardens are an essential part of their lives. They bring beauty, restore dignity and reignite hope in the future. But importantly, we know that gardens offer an incredible opportunity for profitable enterprise and we are committed, personally and professionally, to helping drive a new refugee economy through horticulture.”

– Stephanie Hunt, Founder & CEO, Lemon Tree Trust

Where we work

Since 2015 most of our work has been in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The Azadi Community Garden in Domiz 1 camp was established in 2016 and since then, we have continued to roll out gardening activities to more refugee and IDP camps across the region – as interest and popularity has grown in our garden competitions.  

While our efforts are largely focused in Kurdistan, we continue to partner with organisations in other countries.  

Our long-term vision is to expose every refugee camp in the world to garden competitions and gardening initiatives and to encourage self-sustaining ventures run by and for refugees.

Find out more – read our Frequently Asked Questions.

Our impact

Read our Impact Reports:

• Impact Report 2022
• Impact Report 2021
• Impact Report 2020
• Impact Report 2019
• Impact Report 2018

Follow our latest progress on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

In the news

The Lemon Tree Trust’s work and refugee gardener stories feature in…  

2022

• art27’s reSounding podcast – ‘Putting Down Roots’ (episode 18)
• Centre for Minorities Research Podcast – season 2, episode 1
• The Simple Things magazine – November issue
  

2021

• Young Propagators Society zine – issue 7

2020

• Weeds & Words podcast – season 3, episode 1
• Where The Leaves Fall – issue 4
• Bloom magazine – issue 7
• Floret Flowers – interview with Founder Stephanie Hunt
• The Guardian: ‘Gardening tips: donate seeds to refugee gardeners’ – Jane Perrone 
• Woman’s Weekly magazine
• Easy Gardens magazine
• Sustainable Food Trust: ‘Gardening brings hope in refugee camps’ – Jennie Spears
• The National: ‘Refugees in Iraqi Kurdistan seek solace in camp gardens amid coronavirus lockdown’ – Olivia Cuthbert

2019

• The National: ‘Princess Tatiana of Greece lauds Iraq’s refugee camp gardens at Dubai conference’ – Melanie Hunt

2018

• Gardens Illustrated: ‘Gardens of hope’ – Caroline Beck
• The National: ”In my garden, I feel like I’m in my kingdom’: the growing green spaces of Iraq’s refugee camps’ – Melanie Hunt
• RHS Chelsea Flower Show – a round-up of coverage featuring the Lemon Tree Trust garden
• Food Tank: ‘Urban Agriculture and Forced Displacement in Iraq: “This garden is my kingdom”’ – Helene Schulze

Research papers and articles

These articles, some of which reference the Lemon Tree Trust, are written by academic researchers working in the area of urban agriculture and life sciences. This content covers several interdisciplinary topics, including forced migration and the creation of ‘accidental cities’, food and water systems/security, greening innovation, agroforestry, biodiversity, and sustainability.

• MSc Thesis Rural Sociology – Rural Sociology – Wageningen University: ‘Cultivating home : an exploratory study of greening and gardening in Domiz 1 camp, the Kurdistan region of Iraq’ – Maike de Leeuw
• International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics, volume 14, issue 2 (2019): ‘Cultivating refuge: The role of urban agriculture amongst refugees and forced migrants in the Kurdistan region of Iraq’ – M. Tomkins, S. Yousef , A. Adam-bradford, C. Perkins, E. Grosrenaud, M. Mctough & A. Viljoen
• ECHO Asia Notes, issue 38 (2018): ‘Refugee camps as microcosm: restoration & sustainability in an accidental city’ – Gene Fifer
• Urban Agriculture Magazine, issue 31 (2016): ‘Linking urban farming and urban planning in times of crisis’ – Andrew Adam-Bradford (page 38) 
• Agriculture for Development, issue 28 (2016): ‘Agroforestry for refugee camps’ – Andrew Adam-Bradford (page 31)

Books

International Handbook of Occupational Therapy Interventions: Tania Wiseman and Gaynor Sadlo report the many physical benefits of outdoor exercise, the community benefits of doing things together, the importance of green spaces in reducing stress and increasing resilience, and the value of activity and occupational therapy in trauma recovery.

The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature: Psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Sue Stuart-Smith shares how being in nature can radically transform our health, wellbeing and confidence. She presents scientific findings, insights and stories from asylum seekers, veterans, inner-city young people