Gardener stories: Meet Ahmed
Ahmed Ibrahim Ismail lives in the Azar neighbourhood of Domiz 2 camp.
“I have a humble garden in my house, and I started working on it with my children two years ago. We have spent many good times in it, especially during the curfew for the coronavirus.
“My garden contains 20 different types of roses and trees. Each rose is a different colour from the others, and I have grapes, figs, cypress and pine.
“In 2019 I participated in the Lemon Tree Trust garden competitions. Thanks to the encouragement of our coordinators in the camp, I won second place in Domiz 2 camp.
“My family have benefitted a lot from my garden because we enjoy spending time in it, especially during the quarantine period.”





Want to support refugee gardeners like Ahmed?
The Lemon Tree Trust welcomes one-off and regular donations.
To make a donation, please go to: lemontreetrust.org/donate.
Our core infrastructure costs are fully funded so 100% of your donation directly supports gardening projects and initiatives in refugee communities.
- $1 / £1 can give a family a packet of vegetable seeds
- $5 / £5 can provide a family a basket of nutritious produce
- $25 / £25 can fund a Home Garden Starter Kit for a new family arriving in the camp, containing a Home Garden Manual, seeds, tools, a grow-bag and a children’s gardening activity
More refugee gardener stories
- Watch our short films about why displaced people garden
- Meet Khanki camp resident Hajar
- Meet Domiz 2 camp resident Salih
Learn more about life in refugee camps
We have launched our Spring 2026: Tree & Plant Appeal, inviting supporters to help families displaced by war grow gardens that bring food, shade, sanctuary and beauty to the places they now call home. There are over 1.34 million displaced people living in Iraq, more than 300,000 of them Syrian refugees. Many live in camps … Continued
Gardens That Can Save the World, a new book by award-winning garden designer Lottie Delamain, features Lemon Tree Trust and we are honoured to be included. The book, published on 12 March by Thames & Hudson, brings together 65 projects from around the world, exploring how gardens and growing can address some of the most … Continued
We are pleased to have run a small gardening project with the Êriș Centre in Qamishli, Syria. The centre helps supports 12 children aged five and above with a range of disabilities and additional needs. They are supported by a team of 17 trainers, assistants and supervisors. We arranged two simple gardening activities for the … Continued