We’re passionate about transforming underutilized spaces in our city. Rooftops are often relegated to mechanical equipment and air conditioning units. Why not use them to grow food? This approach is better for the environment, educates the community, and enhances urban life by creating jobs and providing the freshest food possible.
We’re not trying to replace rural farms – they’re vital and irreplaceable. Our goal is to grow food as close to its consumers as possible.
From Rooftop to Plate
Our rooftop garden supplies our restaurant and bar with freshly grown produce. You’re likely to enjoy something from the garden during your visit – a garnish for your drink, part of your meal, or even something in your pickle.
We also work with reliable suppliers, but our vision is to expand rooftop gardening to meet the increasing demand for fresh, locally grown food.
Concerns About Pollution
We understand the concerns about pollution in a city like London. Harmful pollutants like lead and metals from car engines are a concern for any urban gardener. However, these metals are denser than air, meaning they don’t reach the heights of our rooftop garden. Additionally, the plants we grow are harvested quickly, reducing the chance of them absorbing harmful pollutants.
Cultivating Our Rooftop Garden
Our garden spans 1,400 square feet, with 500 square feet dedicated to growing. We use a blend of mushroom compost, horse manure, and topsoil as our growing medium. To maintain soil fertility, we use a wormery to create liquid feed from kitchen scraps.
Rooftop Garden Bounty
We focus on vegetables that thrive in small spaces and have high productivity. We choose older varieties known for their excellent flavor and adaptability to container gardening. Our rooftop garden offers a variety of fresh produce year-round, including salad leaves, herbs, courgettes, beans, tomatoes, chilies, aubergines, and root vegetables during the summer months.
We’re excited to add dwarf trees and climbing fruit to further utilize vertical space. We also grow pea shoots and micro herbs in trays. We’re committed to maximizing the potential of this small space and welcome input from other growers.
Join Our Urban Growing Movement
If you’re interested in urban gardening, we welcome you to volunteer on our rooftop. Work alongside Jack or Janelle during their weekly workdays and learn about organic rooftop growing techniques.
We also host monthly roof garden workshops on various aspects of urban gardening, including container gardening, herb planters, and successive cropping.
Rooftop Strength and Winter Growing
We’ve ensured the structural integrity of our building to support the weight of our garden. We have a greenhouse for year-round growing and plant winter-hardy vegetables during the colder months.
We’re committed to organic practices, using no chemicals on the soil or plants. We rely on companion planting, good husbandry, and the benefits of rooftop growing to prevent pests and diseases.
A Vision for the Future: A Network of Rooftop Gardens
Our vision is to create a network of rooftop growing spaces linked to local pubs. Each rooftop will be a place to learn, be inspired, grow, and cook with locally-grown food. We believe this network will contribute to a more sustainable and vibrant urban landscape.
