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Maroon wordmark logo reading "Rooftop" in serif capitals with "Roses" in elegant cursive script beneath, on a cream background.

Rooftop Roses

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Who we are

Rooftop Roses is an initiative of The Beautiful Bunch, a Melbourne social enterprise that supports young women from refugee backgrounds into employment. It was founded by Jane Marx, who established The Beautiful Bunch in 2020 and began the Rooftop Roses research project in 2023 to explore whether locally grown roses could be produced sustainably and used to expand employment opportunities for the women our organisations work with.

The project was created in response to a specific problem: the Australian floral industry is heavily dependent on imported roses, which are often grown in conditions with poor environmental standards and inadequate worker protections. Rooftop Roses aims to demonstrate that roses can be grown locally, with strong environmental credentials, and in a way that creates genuine social benefit.

We are committed to sharing our research and experience in urban agriculture and sustainable farming with others working in this space.

Gallery

Woman laughing at a laptop on a wooden table set with vases of pink roses on a verandah.
Two women smiling closely together, each holding a bouquet of pink and white roses.
Woman in a hijab carrying a bunch of red roses while walking across a garden lawn.

What we do

Rooftop Roses will grow roses using hydroponic farming (a method of cultivating plants without soil, using nutrient-rich water in a controlled environment), which significantly reduces water use, land requirements, and chemical inputs compared with conventional rose farming. We are currently in the planting stage, working toward producing locally grown roses with a minimal environmental footprint and, in time, reaching commercial-scale production.

Once the farm is producing, the growing, harvesting, and sale of roses will provide young women from refugee backgrounds with hands-on training in horticulture and sustainable farming practices. These are practical, transferable skills that will prepare trainees for employment in agriculture, horticulture, and related industries. The model will integrate skills development directly into the farm's commercial operations, so trainees earn income while they learn.

We publish a journal on our website documenting the development of the farm and sharing insights from our research into urban agriculture. A newsletter, Florescence, is available for those who want to follow the project's progress.

Head office:

  • Victoria

Service location(s):

  • Victoria

Type(s) of actor:

  • Social enterprises
Team portrait photos - contact us

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