Gardens without borders: Talks at Gardening Scotland and the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show
It has been our great pleasure this month to give two talks at gardening shows in the UK.
Gardening Scotland: 1 June
We were delighted when Scotland’s Rural University College student John Thoumire contacted us about his ‘College Street’ garden, inspired by the Lemon Tree Trust show garden at RHS Chelsea 2018.
John’s garden, ‘Bayet’ means ‘home’ in Arabic. The garden aims to raise awareness of the importance of gardens and gardening to people fleeing war and violence, helping them to overcome trauma and move on with their lives. A Silver Gilt medal was awarded.
We helped to sponsor Bayet and during Gardening Scotland, we gave an illustrated talk and hosted a Q&A session with John. We explored John’s background and journey from war correspondent to gardener and how gardens create community.
RHS Chatsworth Flower Show: 5 June
We joined Chatsworth House head cut flower grower Becky Crowley to offer a new perspective on cut flowers at the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show. In our talk, ‘Gardens Without Borders’, we explored how the cutting garden at Chatsworth is linked to the flora of Kurdistan and the gardens that people are building there in refugee camps. Becky gave behind-the-scenes views of the cutting garden and we showed how flowers are as important to survivors of war in Kurdistan as they are to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.
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Find out more about our work and how gardening helps survivors of war
Yesterday, team members Hamid and Othman led a women’s workshop in Hêvî Community Garden, bringing together beneficiaries to learn, share and grow in community. The session began with an introduction to the work of the Lemon Tree Trust, our vision and our ongoing efforts across refugee and IDP (internally displaced people) camps. In places where … Continued
Noora, originally from Damascus, Syria, cooks meals that remind her family of home, using fresh herbs and seasonal produce from her small garden in Gawilan refugee camp, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. “My mother taught me to cook. Now my children help me. I never give up on the recipes that remind me of home,” she … Continued
As we reach the halfway point of 2025, we are delighted to share some of the impact your support has made possible across our projects. Thanks to your support, our projects are creating meaningful change for forcibly displaced communities, improving access to fresh food, mental wellbeing, and opportunities for connection and belonging through community gardening. … Continued