The Garden of the Month award is an extension to our annual gardening competitions to showcase the innovation and creativity of war gardeners throughout the year. Every month, our team visits home gardens in eight camps across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and selects a ‘Garden of the Month’ winner. We look for creative flair, a passion for gardening, innovative planting ideas and a commitment to filling the available space with plants.⁣ ⁣⁣
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A special plaque to display at the winner’s home shelter, a selection of seeds and a lemon tree, are gifted to each winning gardener. In addition, a sign is displayed in each winning garden for anyone passing to see – the sign is temporary and will be moved on to the next Garden of the Month winner within each camp.⁣⁣⁣

February 2023

Bersive 1 camp: Muhannad Mohsen Ajeel. We love the beautiful vertical planting display and cheerful turquoise upcycled plastic pots.

Bersive 2 camp: Aziz Mahmoud Matto. A beautiful small garden in the corner of a tent which is incredibly tidy with different types of trees.

Domiz 1 camp: Ilham Abd El Halim. We chose this garden due to it being so visually striking. The design has been well thought out and the creative flair here reflects the personality of the gardener.

Domiz 2 camp: Bankin Taher Ibrahim. This large garden is home to many fruits and vegetables, such as grapes and olives. It’s clear to see the gardener’s keen interest in agriculture and his desire to look after and ‘green’ this space.

Essian camp: Maher Murad Khalaf. This gardener has started cleaning and renovating his garden to grow roses and vegetables and we’re looking forward to seeing how the space develops.

Gawillan camp: Heveen Abd El Rahman. Wonderful to see the progress made in this space and plans for the garden’s future development.

Kabartu 1 camp: Kamiran Hamed Mahmoud. This gardener has developed the space well, sectioning different areas for different uses for the family and geese to enjoy.

Kabartu 2 camp: Miqdad Murad Qasim. This gardener makes excellent use of the empty space at the entrance to his tent, with established trees and shrubs.

Khanki camp: Khalida Shamo. A garden that is constantly developing and renewing, as it has various types of flowers and plants that are rarely found in other gardens.

January 2023

Bersive 1 camp: Amin Ali Murad
Bersive 2 camp: Khder Brjes Khedr
Domiz 1 camp: Suhaila Abdulaziz Arafo
Domiz 2 camp: Hasan Mohamed Amin
Essian camp: Fadel Khudaida Fadel
Gawillan camp: Abdul Wahab Ahmed Hussein
Kabartu 1 camp: Najma Suleiman Hassan
Kabartu 2 camp: Sherif Aman Haji
Khanki camp: Mahir Qassim

December 2022

We took a break from awarding the Garden of the Month award this month so that our team could enjoy a holiday.

November 2022

Bersive 1 camp: Naji Abdullah Hassan. A beautiful variety of more than ten different plants, trees and flowers in this small space. It’s great to see this gardener’s passion for greening the space.

Bersive 2 camp: Hai Ato Abbas. Wonderful to see the bright blooms of the flowers in this garden.

Domiz 1 camp: Slava Abbas Ahmad. Fantastic to see all the plants in upcycled containers, including old vehicle tyres which have been painted.

Domiz 2 camp: lamya Ahmed Aboo. Despite the small space, the gardener has done a great job with the decoration. The hand-built feature makes a wonderful focal point for the garden.

Essian camp: Zaid Khalaf Khdhir. We love how well designed and tidy this garden is.

Gawillan camp: Khalid Mohamad Al Ali. With a lush green lawn and established shrubs in the borders, this garden will go from strength to strength.

Kabartu 1 camp: Ahmad Saadon Gathban. This garden was established only recently and we encourage the gardener to keep up the excellent work and grow more plants.

Kabartu 2 camp: Nofa Salah Abbas. We love the delicate lilac flowers and other shrubs in this garden’s borders which are being well looked after.

Khanki camp: Majida Hamid Haji. Wonderful archway of grape vines to walk through, with lots of other lovely potted plants too.

October 2022

Bersive 1 camp: Khafshi Saado Shahin. This is a beautiful area with many varieties of trees and plants, including pomegranate.

Bersive 2 camp: Fahmi Ali Majdi. This garden includes well established trees, such as almond, and different vegetables are being cultivated.

Domiz 1 camp: Jasim Mohammed Khalifa. We love seeing the colourful ‘fish lips’ (snapdragons) in addition to several other plants and trees in this large space.

Domiz 2 camp: Nowaf Husssin Bshow. Great vertical planting – the lush green provides privacy and beautiful colour at the shelter’s entrance.

Essian camp: Khalida Qasim Mieza. This tiny space is thriving. Fantastic to see the well established tree and pretty flowers in bloom.

Gawillan camp: Shafaaa Khalil Khalaf. It’s clear to see that this space is maintained by a passionate gardener – there are so many pots and plants growing and everything is so well organised and tidy.

Kabartu 1 camp: Faiza Asaad Khalaf. There are several varieties of trees here, providing both beauty and shade.

Kabartu 2 camp: Barakat Khdhr Zndin. Despite the small size of this garden, there are many beautiful plants and different types of trees.

Khanki camp: Salim Sabri. This garden has been well thought out in line with the family’s needs – the pergola over the green lawn provides shade over the children’s play equipment, there is a dedicated space for the washing line and there are several beds to grow different plants and vegetables.

June – September 2022

We took a break from awarding the Garden of the Month award while our annual gardening competitions and cooking competitions were in progress.

May 2022

Bersive 1 camp: Hazim Saido Jelka. This garden at the front of the tent is well organised and tidy. It contains more than ten varieties of plants, trees and flowers including roses.

Bersive 2 camp: Karwan Marwan Khdeda. The different types of flowers here,  including nasturtiums, bring psychological comfort to the gardener. The planting and fencing with stencilled leaf pattern are beautiful.

Domiz 1 camp: Khadija Hussin Abdo. Lots of wonderful diversity in the planting. The roses and daisies are beautiful.

Domiz 2 camp: Noraldin Hussin. Despite the narrow space, the gardener is growing a lovely variety of plants and flowers which have been lovingly arranged. There’s also a beautifully designed small waterfall.

Essian camp: Mardin Saad. The colourful pomegranate flowers and plants brighten the tent and entrance to the shelter and reflect the gardener’s great love for growing.

Gawillan camp: Glijhan Mihammed Bakr. Wonderful neat and tidy shelving with upcycled pots, as well as trailing vines that bring colour and interest to the area. This gardener shares that she has loved planting since childhood and has a particular passion for cultivating basil.

Kabartu 1 camp: Salim Barakat Qasim. The garden here is an incredibly narrow space and the gardener has done well to grow such a diverse range of trees and roses which are now well established.

Kabartu 2 camp: Idris Sliman Hassan. This garden was chosen because of its arrangement and its beauty. Despite the small size of the area, a great amount of care has been taken to plant trees and roses of all kinds.

Khanki camp: Ibrahim Jirdo. This garden is very nicely organised and tidy. It has many types of stunning trees, flowers and roses, with a beautiful green canopy of grapes.

April 2022

Bersive 1 camp: Ziad Hafo Murad. So much green! Ziad has planted his garden on the small patch of land outside his tented shelter.

Bersive 2 camp: Eido Maro Gashtar. This courtyard garden showcases distinctive trees opposite the door of the tent and Eido has been busy growing different types of fruit.

Domiz 1 camp: Muhamad Ahmad Ali. Muhamad has made good use of the available space, planting a range of crops including beautiful roses and trees for shade.

Domiz 2 camp: Basel Khalil Shaker. Basel has excelled in designing his garden – flowers, trees and shrubs border the well-kept lawn.

Essian camp: Sharo Ellias. Sharo and his family have planted flowers and shrubs to form a beautiful view in front of their tented shelter. Their background is in farming and it is clear to see the passion behind this space.

Gawillan camp: Hoger Ali. In Hoger’s garden there are beautifully tended borders, with pink roses in bloom.

Kabartu 1 camp: Faisal Qasim Jardo. While the space for growing is small, Faisal has some established trees and is keen to continue gardening.

Kabartu 2 camp: Hassan Hussin Ali. Despite the small size of the land here, Hassan is cultivating a lovely variety of colourful roses and other plants which brighten the space.

Khanki camp: Nadhim Jono Ismael. This is an extremely tidy garden and is a beautiful space to spend time with family and friend. Nadhim’s garden has a swing and is surrounded by a smart fence.

March 2022

Bersive 1 camp: Omar Dakhil Sliman
Bersive 2 camp: Barakat Basi Sliman
Domiz 1 camp: Ayad Khalid Ahmad
Domiz 2 camp: Basel Khalil Shaker
Essian camp: Khalaf Ali
Gawillan camp: Dlshad Shukri Ahmad
Kabartu 1 camp: Shaima Khdida Ali
Kabartu 2 camp: Renas Naif Shamo
Khanki camp: Ferial Khalf Edo

February 2022

Bersive 1 camp: Muhanad Muhsin Ajel
Bersive 2 camp: Khdir Salo Khdr
Domiz 1 camp: Alaa Hassan Esa
Domiz 2 camp: Mohammed Sharif Ibrahim
Essian camp: Sliman Yousif Sliman
Gawillan camp: Yousif Mohammad Shwesh
Kabartu 1 camp: Abas Ibrahim Hassan
Kabartu 2 camp: Murad Hassan Talo
Khanki camp: Sadoun Poko

January 2022

Bersive 1 camp: Said Ali Omar
Bersive 2 camp: Bashar Khdr Hassan
Domiz 1 Aisha Ramadan Ali
Domiz 2 camp: Walid Ahmad Yousif
Essian camp: Jalila Ahmad Qasim
Gawillan camp: Rakan Nahit Haso
Kabartu 1 camp: Abdul Muhsin Sadon Sadon
Kabartu 2 camp: Ali Rasho Qasim
Khanki camp: Aziz Jalal Murad

December 2021: Garden of the Month award winners:

Our team took a break from Garden of the Month this month.

November 2021: Garden of the Month award winners:

Bersive 1 camp: Khatab Khdida Jomer
Bersive 2 camp: Ellias Qro Sliman
Domiz 1 Abdul Aziz Ali
Domiz 2 camp: Jamal Mahmod Ali
Essian camp: Dalal Hamid Haji
Gawillan camp: Amal Ali Ahmad
Kabartu 1 camp: Khalid Majhan Jardo
Kabartu 2 camp: Rasho Kars Harmosh
Khanki camp: Wedad Khiro

October 2021: Garden of the Month award winners

Bersive 1 camp: Sabah Ellias Qasim
Bersive 2 camp: Jardo Shamo Koti
Domiz 1 camp: Lorin Rafaat Yousif
Domiz 2 camp: Hassan Ramadan Abdullah
Essian camp: Faris Khdida Mato
Gawillan camp: Jamil Ibrahim Maamo
Kabartu 1 camp: Qahtan Adnan Ali
Kabartu 2 camp: Ibtisam Khalid Khdida
Khanki camp: Hussain Ali

September 2021: Garden of the Month award winners

Bersive 1 camp: Qasim Ali Omar – The garden has a good variety of flowers, trees, with beautiful flowers in front of the house creating a fantastic view.

Bersive 2 camp: Mahmod Slo Khalaf – The cheerful pops of orange bordering the pathway up to the front door are superb.

Domiz 1 camp: Salwa Ali Ali – This garden has several beautiful pots which go a long way to brightening the small space.

Domiz 2 camp: Abdul Aziz Muhammad Ibrahim – Fantastic diversity in plants and shrubs and the green space for sitting in, with the coloured cement and stone, is lovely.

Essian camp: Ziad Ali Sado – The plants and roses that decorated the front of his tent brought back memories from Shingal before the displacement, so Ziad expanded the flower beds around his tent with roses and plants so that they can be seen from all sides.

Gawillan camp: Baqi Muhammad Amin – This small garden gives the owner hope to return one day to his village in Syria to live in the large garden he established there.

Kabartu 1 camp: Hassan Khdida Nafosh – Fantastic efforts in greening this shelter – keep up the good work.

Kabartu 2 camp: Mamo Haji Osman – This well-established garden has many beautiful trees and flowers.

Khanki camp: Layla Murad Ismail – The garden has a large group of trees and flowers, in addition to plants used in the kitchen, and it also has a beautiful swing. The garden is very suitable for spending time with family.

June 2021: Garden of the Month award winners

Bersive 1: Wisam Hathal Campa
Bersive 2: Abdul Aziz Hamid Jardo
Domiz 1: Gaaed Ahmed Amin Qasim
Domiz 2: Sliman Younis Ahmed
Essian: Salman Salim Qasm
Gawillan: Abbas Muhammed Mahmoud
Kabartu 1: Sado Khalil Khdida
Kabartu 2: Thawra Hassan Khalaf
Khanki: Khalida Shamo

May 2021: Garden of the Month award winners

Bersive 1 camp: Nawaf Rasho Qaso – The garden consists of a fig tree, mint plants, flowers, a tree and grapes. The gardener has worked on this small garden in front of his tent for two years and says that even a single flower in the camp is difficult to grow due to the soil quality – he says: “I decided to pick up much good soil as possible and plant these trees and flowers in order to change the look of the tent for the better.” ⁣

Domiz 1 camp: Bayan Yousif Amo – ⁣This gardener is interested in agriculture and she is eager to develop her garden. She is participating in LTT activities for the first time. ⁣
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Domiz 2 camp: Haji Majo – ⁣This garden was chosen because for its ingenuity and creativity. In addition to its scenic beauty and its many aesthetic plants, the garden has vegetables and several fruit trees, including grapes, lemons, figs, peaches and pomegranates. Along with Haji, the chickens also enjoy this green space. The effort put into this garden is highly commendable. ⁣

⁣Essian camp: Hassan Yousif Hassan – This garden shows a great love for grass and plants, especially roses. Plus, half of his tent disappears when plants climb up it, forming a beautiful green landscape.⁣

Gawillan camp: Maha Ala Aldin Hajo Dawood – Just look at all the green! This gardener enjoys participating in LTT activities and says that spending time in her garden raises her spirits and ‘relieves our tired souls from the war’. ⁣
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Kabartu 1 camp: Ellias Khdida Ali – This garden was chosen because the gardener has planted a lot of roses and trees and he is excited about further cultivating his space. ⁣
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Kabartu 2 camp: ⁣Dawood Hasso Fandi – Despite the small size of this gardener’s house, there are many beautiful plants and different types of roses – fantastic to see! ⁣

Khanki camp: Khokhi Hasso Silo – The garden was so beautiful and fascinating and the rose archway provides a warm welcome. ⁣ ⁣⁣

April 2021: Garden of the Month award winners

Bersive 1 camp: Said Khidr Soro – it is fantastic to see this space being used to grow food.

Gawillan camp: Adnan Muhammed Ahmed – This gardener has brought his love of roses from Afrin in Syria to this small space.

⁣⁣Domiz 1 camp: Sharif Ahmed Haj Ahmed –This gardener is a keen horticulturist and organises his space well.

Domiz 2 camp: Muhammad Abdul Baqi – The whole space is beautiful and we especially love the planters.⁣

⁣⁣Essian camp: Tariq Ano Rasho – When we visited this garden we noticed that it is completely different from the other gardens we recorded – despite the small area, plants, flowers and trees are being cultivated. There is no doubt that the gardens are the most joyful things in life.

Kabartu 1 camp: Nadia Maree Hassan – Tidy and organised garden with stunning pink roses.

Kabartu 2 camp: ⁣ Shaha Rasho Sabri – This garden was chosen due to its arrangement and aesthetics. Despite the small size of the area the gardener really cares about it and plants trees and roses of all kinds.

Khanki camp: Amal Kimo – The garden was chosen because it contains many types of flowers and beautiful roses, in addition to the fact that the garden is very well arranged and planted in a different way. Although it is early, the garden is complete.

March 2021: Garden of the Month award winners

Bersive 1 camp: Hazim Haji Saido – Fantastic to see plants growing so well in this small slice of green.

Domiz 1 camp: Sawsan Ibrahim Amo – We can see here that this gardener, who is a regular participant in LTT activities, loves agriculture and takes great care in monitoring and looking after her small green space. ⁣

Domiz 2 camp: Isam Arif Slo – A lot of time and effort has been taken to build this unique water feature. Top marks for the creativity and skill demonstrated. ⁣

Essian camp: Khalida Jardo Ellias – When you look at this garden, it is clear to see the passion and love for agriculture. The gardener has worked hard to develop her green space in terms of agricultural diversity and the recycling of materials. ⁣
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Gawillan camp: Abd Rahman Muhhamed Tabo – We love the mix of plants being grown here and the gardener says that the space helps his mental health as it provides relief from the fatigue of life and the feeling of being a refugee. ⁣
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Kabartu 1 camp: Asaad Khthir Edio – This garden has been totally transformed and it is clear to see the love of gardening through the planting of trees, fencing around the space and general care taken.⁣
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Kabartu 2 camp: Manal Murad Darwish – This gardener has always had a passion for growing. When he became a Kabartu resident in 2014 after being forcibly displaced, he decided to create a new garden. Despite the narrow space and the small space here, there are many types of beautiful plants and flowers, including carnations, roses, tulips, primrose. The gardener says the plants and space bring him peace and quiet.

Khanki camp: Khuder Haji Sulaiman – The garden was chosen because it contains many types of vegetables, in addition to the fact that the garden is very tidy and the family cares for it a lot. ⁣

February 2021: Garden of the Month award winners

Bersive 1 camp: Zaid Khdr Elias – An excellent effort in greening the small and narrow patch of land here. ⁣
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Domiz 1 camp: Karima Ahmad Omar – A regular participant in LTT activities and competitions, this gardener loves farming and has a desire to develop her garden further. ⁣
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Domiz 2 camp: Sagvan Sliman Taher – This gardener enjoys working and sitting in the garden – the fresh air and plants are relaxing.⁣

Essian camp: Adnan Ali Hussin – Lots of upcycling of used containers can be seen in this garden. This gardener demonstrates creativity and diversity here and has created a peaceful sanctuary. ⁣
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Gawillan camp: Bahia Salim Afo – Despite the small size of this gardener’s house, there are lots of beautiful plants and different types of roses.⁣
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Kabartu 1 camp: Rasho Abdo Hassan – Fantastic to see such a large number of trees – figs, grapes, olives, peaches and almonds – within the limited space.⁣
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Kabartu 2 camp: ⁣Lina Sliman – This garden was established two years ago and it is wonderful to see a variety of trees and plants here.⁣

Khanki camp: Nasser Khalaf Sulaiman – The garden was chosen for the amount of hard work expended in it by its owner who is an elderly man. He loves to spend his time planting and working in the garden. ⁣

January 2021: Garden of the Month award winners

Bersive 1 camp: Haji Katy Ibrahim – A well maintained garden and diverse area of trees and plant species, with height variation adding interest.  ⁣

Domiz 1 camp: Shamya Nawaf Ali – We love the creative upcycling of containers and vertical planting display which bring beauty to the home and street.  ⁣

Domiz 2 camp: Yasamin Qasim – You don’t necessarily need a lot of space to plant seedlings and flowers. This small home garden provides psychological comfort and reassurance.  ⁣

⁣Essian camp: Parvo Khalaf Ali ⁣⁣– This is different from many of the other gardens we have visited because it is a micro-farm in terms of the area and the diversity within it. Vegetables and herbs, such as chard, radishes, onions, garlic, parsley and more, are grown and distributed to friends and neighbours. Living conditions in Essian camp are not ideal and we know our gardening initiatives help keep people busy and hopeful as they cope with the daily challenges of life in camp.⁣

Gawillan camp: Walid Sabri Shahin ⁣⁣⁣⁣– After hearing about Lemon Tree Trust’s activities, this resident felt encouraged to create a small garden to bring some green to his home.  ⁣
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Kabartu 1 camp: Khalil Haji Hassan – This gardener grows trees of all kinds, such as grape, fig, plum and apricot.  ⁣
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Kabartu 2 camp: Halima Kars Hassan – Through the beautiful borders and painted wall, this gardener has made great strides to bring pockets of colour to brighten her outside space.⁣
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Khanki camp: Saeed Haji ⁣– Despite limited resources, the family enjoy gardening together and plant in all parts of their home.  ⁣

December 2020

Bersive 1 camp: Mohammed Rafo Hussin – A small and simple garden filled with lots of green and orderly planters. ⁣

Domiz 1 camp: Noshin Nather Abdo – A simple but beautiful container planter display. ⁣
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Domiz 2 camp: Hssin Mohammed Abdul Hanan – A beautiful and well laid out garden with variety! Full of fruit trees and flowers, with a specific area for growing winter and summer vegetables.⁣

Essian camp: ⁣⁣Ezden Hassan Abdullah – A standout garden in the neighbourhood due to its abundance and variety of vegetables, as well as the planted trees, demonstrating the gardener’s keenness and interest in growing.⁣

Gawillan camp: Salah Ramadan Mousa – Spectacularly creative and colourful garden despite its small size, filled with many upcycled containers, vertical planters and additional colour via the Kurdistan flag painted on the wall.⁣

Kabartu 1 camp: Saoud Khthr Bashar – This garden provides hope. Look at the stacked tyre planter 😊⁣
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Kabartu 2 camp: ⁣Hassan Ali Yousif – An attractive garden with lots of colourful flowers.⁣
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Khanki camp: ⁣Nada Khider Sulaiman – The garden was chosen because it has a variety of trees and vegetables that can be used in daily life.

November 2020:

Bersive 1 camp: Saeed Daham Qato – One of the most beautiful gardens in the camp.

Domiz 1 camp: Abdul Kareem Qasim – A lovely area in which the family grows food and flowers.⁣

⁣Domiz 2: Nihad Muhammed Hassan – The unity of this garden is attractive and showcases how hard the gardener works. ⁣

Essian camp: ⁣⁣Khdida Carls Harmosh – How amazing it feels when you see a person planting a small spot in front of his tent and filling his daily need of vegetables and fruits.⁣

Gawillan camp: ⁣Jwan Mohammed Ameen – Wonderful upcycling of containers and vertical planting provides interest.

Kabartu 1 camp: Haidar Darwesh Hassin – Beautiful plants and supporter of gardening and agriculture.⁣

Kabartu 2 camp: ⁣Hussin Ali Yousif – Exquisite flowers in this garden.⁣

Khanki camp: ⁣Nasso Qolo Shivan – Despite its simplicity, this garden was chosen due to the tidiness and the care and dedication provided by the family, especially son and daughter. ⁣

October 2020