Standing with Ukraine: Take part in our #SunflowerSolidarity campaign
We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and with all people who have been forced to flee their homes. We believe every person has the right to feel safe; to live freely, without the threat of violence or persecution. We have found that gardens and the act of gardening can help bring us together and share common ground.
Gardening is a universal language. It nurtures our bodies and our minds and as we digest the terrible news coming out of Ukraine, it is so important that we care for our mental health to give us the strength to help and take positive action. Gardening gives us a language of beauty, hope and dignity we can all understand.
Take part in our #SunflowerSolidarity campaign
The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine. It is also the perfect time of year for many of us to plant sunflower seeds.
Gardener to gardener we invite you to sow a sunflower seed, nurture it and enjoy it. Plant one for yourself, and consider planting one for someone unable to sow the seeds they had so looked forward to nurturing this spring.
If you’re planting with children or want a fun activity to bring the seed sowing to life, you might like our Lenny Lemon ‘sunflower pot people’ activity sheet, created in conjunction with the Royal Horticultural Society. It’s ideal for families and classroom settings and a range of age groups.
Sunflower pot people activity sheet
- Download in English
- Download in Arabic | تحميل باللغة العربية
- Download in Farsi | دانلود به زبان فارسی
We have plenty more children’s activity sheets and resources if you’d like to make a longer gardening session of it. All are free to download.
Wherever you are in the world, please share photos of your sunflower seed sowing, seedlings and growing plants with us on social media. We’re on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Tag us: @lemontreetrust, #SunflowerSolidarity, and we will share them as a show of strength and love for all displaced people.
What we’re currently working on
Over the coming days and weeks, we will be reaching out to charities and organisations supporting Ukrainian people arriving in the UK to offer seeds and gardening activity sheets. We are also working on translating a selection of the activity sheets into Ukrainian. If you know of a charity or organisation that could benefit from seed packets and family gardening activity sheets, please email us at [email protected] or complete our .
Update – July 2022: The Ukrainian ‘Lenny Lemon’ family gardening activity resources are now available to download.
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
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 … Continued
Momentum continues at the Hêvî Community Garden in Gawilan refugee camp as the team nears completion of a new polytunnel. The 33m long and 9m wide structure, equipped with an in-built water irrigation system, was built using frames donated from another camp and heavy duty covers sourced on site. Once in use, it will support … Continued