This festive season, give the gift of gardens for displaced families

By donating to Lemon Tree Trust on behalf of someone special this festive season, you’re supporting gardens and green spaces that bring comfort, connection and a renewed sense of home for people who have been forcibly displaced. After donating, you can download a personalised gift template to customise with your message, either to send digitally or print at home and perhaps enclose in a Christmas card.

Refugee and internally displaced people (IDP) camps across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have grown into dense “accidental cities,” built out of urgent need and shaped by the realities of war. Many residents are survivors of conflict, having lost loved ones, homes, communities and livelihoods.

Take Domiz 1 refugee camp: established in 2012 to host Syrian refugees, it is now home to 28,477 people in an area of 1,515,270 m² (UNHCR). The landscape is dry and dusty, and opportunities for shade or greenery are limited. In summer, when temperatures soar to 50°C, even a small patch of plants or a few trees can transform daily life, providing shade, comfort and a sense of hope.

This is where gardens make an extraordinary difference. Lemon Tree Trust supports people to create home gardens, distributing vegetable and herb seed packets, flowering plants and a wide variety of trees. We also foster connection through our Garden of the Month award, Annual Garden Competitions and Annual Cooking Competitions, bringing people together to share skills, build friendships and strengthen community.

For Jomaa Hassan, who fled Damascus after his home and garden were destroyed, gardening in Domiz camp offers renewal:
“In Damascus, I lived in a villa with a garden. One day my house was bombed. Now everything is gone. I lived there for 20 years… I think I’ve made something spectacular with my garden. Gardening makes me happy. It comforts us. By gardening, we’re changing this place. It used to be a desert, but not anymore. When someone walks past, no matter how sad he is, when he sees my garden, he feels better.”

In our community gardens, women find safe, supportive spaces to learn, grow and connect. Dozkin Said Amin reflects:
“Gardening at the Azadî women’s garden has helped to rid me of the mental health issues I had been suffering from. Cultivating the raised beds that Lemon Tree Trust has assigned to me is rewarding in so many ways.”

Our team members witness this transformation every day. Aveen Ibrahem, who fled Damascus with her family and now manages the Azadî Community Garden and Lemon Tree Trust’s work across multiple camps, explains:

“The majority of the people we support say that they garden more for psychological comfort and being part of a community than a need for food. When they are in the garden they put aside all their daily problems. They are able to create a space that gives joy and helps make their house a home.”

We also work to bridge connections between displaced people and host communities, championing shared green spaces, food-growing projects and community events that bring people together across cultures and experiences.

Since 2016, we’ve planted or distributed more than 300,000 trees and plants, helping create cooler, greener and more hopeful places for families rebuilding their lives.

Why a Lemon Tree Trust donation is an ideal gift

A donation is ideal for:

• Garden lovers who find joy and inspiration in nurturing plants, and visiting gardens and green spaces
• Advocates for human wellbeing, especially refugees and survivors of conflict
• People who seem to already have everything

How your donation makes a difference

Your donation directly supports displaced families to grow food, flowers and trees at home, bringing nourishment, shade, colour and connection into their everyday lives. You also help strengthen community gardens where people learn, share and rebuild routines that support wellbeing.

Your donation may go towards one of the following areas:

🌿 £10 / $13 – Refreshments for community gardening sessions
🍋 £50 / $67 – Seed packets, plants and compost to help families start or expand home gardens
🌿 £100 / $135 – A Garden Coordinator to distribute materials and guide growers
🍋 £500 / $675 – Distribution of trees, plants and seedlings across multiple camps
🌿 £1,000 / $1,350 – Gardening and cooking competitions that build confidence and community
🍋 £5,000 / $6,750 – Create a healing community garden
🌿 £50,000 / $67,520 – For philanthropists and grant givers: help build a fully equipped community garden with infrastructure, tools and trained staff

100% of your donation goes directly towards gardening activities in displaced communities, helping to nurture hope and growth.

Together, we are bringing beauty, dignity and opportunity to communities affected by the ravages of war.

• You can find details of how to make a donation, here.
• Personalise our downloadable design, here.

Thank you.