Rose season is with us once more and to mark the occasion I’m releasing an appropriately rose-filled print for the month of June. It shows a mix of different flower forms in apricot, peach, cream and pale lemon colours. The elegant semi-double blooms of Rosa ‘Lark Ascending’ (just left of centre), are probably my favourite. R. ‘Lark Ascending’ makes a large, healthy shrub which flowers over a very long period. I like growing it alongside golden oats grass (stipa gigantea) in a position where they can glow and glisten in early morning or evening light. The names of all the roses shown in this print are: Above & Beyond, Pearlie Mae, Grace, Honey Dijon, Sally Holmes, Lark Ascending, Distant Drums, Gloire de Dijon, Imogen, Penelope, Comtes de Champagne, Sparrieshoop, Kew Gardens, Crocus Rose, Tea Clipper and Ghislane. If you scroll to the bottom of this page you’ll find a photograph showing each flower labelled.
This month is a little bit special because 20% of proceeds from all sales will be going straight to the Lemon Tree Trust (LTT), a charity close to my heart and who I’ve worked with on occasion over several years.
The LTT supports people living in refugee camps to grow their own food and flowers, and to meet regularly as a community in safe and welcoming spaces. They work with survivors of war within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq who, as you might imagine, have very limited space and resources.
To encourage residents to start growing, the LTT organises annual garden competitions and gives out monthly garden awards. As many of us are aware, the benefits of gardening on mental wellbeing, physical health and community building can be huge, and these are the main factors driving all LTT activities, particularly for women living on the camps.
A 20% donation of all proceeds from sales in June, are going towards the LTT’s summer appeal, which will launch on 20th June to coincide with UN World Refugee Day. 100% of the donation will go towards building a new community garden, using the brilliant Azadi Garden in Domiz 1 camp (pictured at the top) as a blueprint.
One of my favourite gardeners to follow on Instagram is Aveen (also pictured at the top) who is a resident of Domiz 1 camp, and operations director of the LTT. She is a remarkable woman who, despite her own significant challenges, is the powerhouse behind much of the LTT’s work on the ground.
I love to see the herbal teas she makes from the community garden plants such as, roses, lemon balm, rosemary, lavender, santolina and mint. She has kindly allowed me to share her recipe here:
How to make Sidra Tea
Equal amounts of:
Damask rose petals
Lemon balm
Rosemary
Add a little:
Lavender
Santolina
Mint
Method:
- Place the leaves and petals in a pot of water and bring to the boil.
- Simmer over a gentle heat for 5 minutes.
- Take off the heat and strain the leaves and petals, before leaving to cool a little.
- Enjoy warm with sugar to taste if desired.
If you do not have fresh ingredients, use dried instead but steep in water for 5 minutes before bringing to the boil.
I hope you enjoy the recipe, I’d love to see pics or hear how you got on if you make it!
You can find out much more about the incredible work of the Lemon Tree Trust here.
We cannot thank you enough for your support. Becky X
