Resources
Gardening activity resources for children
As part of our emergency response to the global Covid-19 pandemic, we have created a library of children’s activities to help keep families busy at home. One thing that Covid-19 has highlighted is that gardening has no borders. We are all finding solace in our personal green space, wherever we are in the world. Our family resources are free to download in English and Arabic so that more people can join in and enjoy gardening.
View these resources in Arabic | عرض هذه الموارد باللغة العربية
Lenny Lemon’s gardening activities
Join ‘Lenny Lemon’ for some fun gardening activities to enjoy at home or school.
Our thanks go to the Royal Horticultural Society for allowing us to adapt a selection of their resources for gardeners and families living in refugee and IDP (internally displaced persons) communities.
There are eleven activities to enjoy making. Suitable for ages 3+.
Don’t forget to share your completed activities with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter – tag our account name and use the #OneGardenAtATime hashtag and we’ll repost the best ones. We’ll also show your fantastic creations to the gardeners we know in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) – they are also taking part and would love to hear from you.
Time capsule activity book
This 15-page activity book is packed full of fun activities to keep children busy while we stay home. It includes writing and drawing activities – many with a gardening theme, such as ‘I spy with my little eye’ (identifying items in your garden and at home), ‘what grows in your garden’ diary and much more.
Suitable for ages 3+.
Download the booklet and print at home.
Additional resources
Recipes
Khanem’s Tawa
This traditional Syrian main course has layers of beef, aubergine, tomato and potato. Think of it a bit like a dairy free moussaka. The addition of lemon and parsley freshen and lift this filling meal. Recipe serves eight people.
Nosheen’s Kousa Mahshi
You’ll need a little patience for this recipe but we think the result is well worth the effort. These stuffed courgettes and tomatoes with beef and rice serve four people. To make this recipe vegetarian, replace the beef with chickpeas.
Information about the Lemon Tree Trust
Impact Report 2018
(PDF)
‘About our work’ leaflet
(PDF)
Transforming land, transforming lives
(PDF)
Greening innovation and urban agriculture in refugee and IDP camps explained.
Liked these resources?
Here are a few ways you can find out more about our work, get involved and help more families living in refugee and IDP (internally displaced persons) camps to grow food and flowers.
- Donate to our Gardener to Gardener Seed Appeal. With your support we can continue providing educational gardening activities and Home Garden Kits to help people who have been forced to flee their homes to start a home garden in camp. Find out more about our Appeal and make a donation or send us packets of seed.
- Join our mailing list to be among the first to hear about developments at the Lemon Tree Trust with our seasonal newsletter.
- Follow the Lemon Tree Trust on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Together we are creating a global community of gardeners and changing the conversation around forced migration.
In the news…
The Lemon Tree Trust’s work and refugee gardener stories feature in…
2020
- Bloom magazine – Zena Alkayat
- The Guardian: ‘Gardening tips: donate seeds to refugee gardeners’ – Jane Perrone
- Woman’s Weekly magazine
- Easy Gardens magazine
- Sustainable Food Trust: ‘Gardening brings hope in refugee camps’ – Jennie Spears
- The National: ‘Refugees in Iraqi Kurdistan seek solace in camp gardens amid coronavirus lockdown’ – Olivia Cuthbert
2019
2018
- Gardens Illustrated: ‘Gardens of hope’ – Caroline Beck
- The National: ”In my garden, I feel like I’m in my kingdom’: the growing green spaces of Iraq’s refugee camps’ – Melanie Hunt
- RHS Chelsea Flower Show – a round-up of coverage featuring the Lemon Tree Trust garden
- Food Tank: ‘Urban Agriculture and Forced Displacement in Iraq: “This garden is my kingdom”’ – Helene Schulze
Research papers and articles
These articles, some of which reference the Lemon Tree Trust, are written by academic researchers working in the area of urban agriculture and life sciences. This content covers several interdisciplinary topics, including forced migration and the creation of ‘accidental cities’, food and water systems/security, greening innovation, agroforestry, biodiversity, and sustainability.
- International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics, volume 14, issue 2 (2019): ‘Cultivating refuge: The role of urban agriculture amongst refugees and forced migrants in the Kurdistan region of Iraq’ – M. Tomkins, S. Yousef , A. Adam-bradford, C. Perkins, E. Grosrenaud, M. Mctough & A. Viljoen
- ECHO Asia Notes, issue 38 (2018): ‘Refugee camps as microcosm: restoration & sustainability in an accidental city’ – Gene Fifer
- Urban Agriculture Magazine, issue 31 (2016): ‘Linking urban farming and urban planning in times of crisis’ – Andrew Adam-Bradford (page 38)
- Agriculture for Development, issue 28 (2016): ‘Agroforestry for refugee camps’ – Andrew Adam-Bradford (page 31)
The Azadi Community Garden in Domiz 1 camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, is run by a small team of gardeners headed up Aveen, our Operations Manager. We asked team members Ismail and Shalal (pictured below) some questions about their work in the garden and their favourite plants. Ismail “I’m Ismail, a Syrian refugee. … Continued
Huge gratitude and thanks go to Erin Benzakein, Becky Crowley and all the team at Floret Flowers. As well as a generous donation of Floret seeds to our emergency ‘Gardener to Gardener’ Seed Appeal, Erin has published a lovely interview feature with our founder Stephanie Hunt on the Floret website. In the feature, Stephanie chats … Continued
Our heartfelt thanks go to Bridget and Henrietta at The Land Gardeners for donating profits from the first issue of their new pop-up magazine to Lemon Tree Trust. In this beautiful digital magazine, The Land Gardeners share what to plant and how to grow in lockdown. Plus, read about Erin Benzakein’s favourite pink flowers, Paul Bangay’s most-loved garden book, Kay … Continued