Our Story
Why we started
Little Roses.
Half the flowers sold in Australia are imported. We think that's worth changing.
When we first heard that half the flowers sold in Australia are imported, we were quite shocked.
At Little Flowers, we've spent more than a decade working with local growers, visiting flower farms and filling our bouquets with Australian-grown blooms whenever we can. We've seen firsthand just how beautiful local flowers can be.
The more we learned, the more surprising it felt. Many imported roses travel thousands of kilometres before reaching Australia. Some travel as far as 14,000km.
That's a long way for a rose to travel.
Especially when there are incredible roses growing right here in New South Wales.
Roses with character. Roses that follow the seasons. Roses grown by people we know.
So we built Little Roses.
Collecting roses directly from our Dural growers — no wholesalers, no middlemen.
"We could import roses and stay open all year. We choose to follow the seasons instead."
The magic of locally grown roses.
Sometimes when we're stripping roses at 7am, everything stops.
Someone finds a stem with a double head. A tiny side bud. An unusual colour combination nobody was expecting that week. The whole team gathers around for a moment of appreciation.
It's perhaps not until you work with flowers every day that you understand the difference between locally grown roses and imported ones.
Local roses are full of surprises. Little quirks. Unexpected shapes. Scents that fill the room. They aren't perfectly uniform — and that's exactly what we love about them.
Every stem has a story. Every season brings something different. And when you know the growers, you start to appreciate the weather, the challenges, and the small miracles that went into every bloom.
"If we're open, the roses are worth sending. If we're not, it's because they aren't."
If we're open, the roses are worth sending.
NSW roses are at their best between October and April. That's when the stems are thicker, the heads are bigger, and the flowers are so beautiful they make people stop and stare.
When local roses are no longer available — or no longer looking their best — we close.
We could import roses and stay open all year. Plenty of businesses do. But that's not why we built Little Roses.
Little Roses exists to celebrate locally grown roses and the seasons they belong to.
So when rose season ends, we don't replace them with imports. We wait for the next crop to arrive. In the meantime, tulips, poppies, ranunculus, anemones and all sorts of other Australian-grown beauties are busy having their turn in the spotlight.
If you're looking for seasonal Australian-grown flowers while the roses are resting, you'll find plenty to love over at Little Flowers.
"When you know the grower, you start to see the flowers differently."
But there's something else that comes with knowing your grower — something harder to put a price on.
Over the years, we've got to know the people behind our roses.
We know which varieties they're excited about. We know when the first flush of the season arrives. We know when a hailstorm has torn through the farm overnight, and we know when a patch of roses is looking particularly spectacular.
That connection changes the way you see flowers.
You're not just looking at a bunch of roses. You're looking at months of work, early mornings, changing weather, careful growing, and people who genuinely care about what they're producing.
We think that connection finds its way into the flowers.
And perhaps into the act of sending them too.
A simple promise.
Every bunch of roses we send is Australian grown.
We won't import roses just to stay open. We won't pretend a flower is local when it isn't. And we'll always be upfront about where our flowers come from.
That means some things happen a little differently around here.
The roses are seasonal. The growers are local. The flowers aren't perfectly uniform. And every bunch has a story behind it.
That's exactly how we like it.
Sarah
Founder, Little Roses
"Little Roses grew from a simple idea: it should be easier to choose roses that are locally grown, seasonal, and connected to the people who produced them.
In other words, roses you can feel good about sending."
Common questions
Everything you've wondered about local roses.
Are Little Roses actually grown in Australia?
Yes. Every rose we sell is grown in New South Wales, by growers in Dural, around 40km from Sydney CBD. We never import roses. When local roses aren't available — or aren't looking their best — we close until the next crop is ready.
What makes locally grown roses different?
For us, it's about connection and confidence.
Because our roses are grown locally, we can talk directly to the growers before we buy. We can ask what's looking particularly good, how the crop is performing, and even what's happening while the roses are growing.
Imported roses are typically packed for long-distance transport before they reach Australia. Often, the flowers are protected inside cardboard boxes, making it difficult to properly assess the blooms until they're unpacked.
That's not to say imported roses can't be beautiful — many are. But a longer, more complex supply chain creates more distance between the florist and the grower.
We prefer being closer to the source.
Knowing the growers, seeing what's looking good each week, and having a direct connection to where our flowers came from gives us confidence in what we're sending. It also means fewer kilometres travelled and no international air freight.
For us, that's all part of what makes locally grown roses feel special — and why they're roses you can feel good about sending.
When are Australian roses in season?
Our NSW-grown roses are generally at their best between October and April, although exact timing can vary slightly depending on weather and growing conditions.
That's why Little Roses is only open during part of the year. When local roses aren't available — or aren't looking their best — we close until the next crop is ready.
In the meantime, there are plenty of other beautiful Australian-grown flowers having their moment. Tulips, poppies, ranunculus and anemones included.
You can find those (and a few of our other favourites) over at Little Flowers.
Do you buy directly from the growers?
We source our roses through Sydney Flower Market, where local growers bring their flowers each week.
Over the years, we've got to know these growers personally. We know who's growing our roses, what's looking particularly good each week, and which varieties they're excited about.
That's one of the things we love most about working with locally grown flowers — the connection to the people behind them.
Are your roses sprayed or chemically treated?
Like most commercially grown flowers, our roses are grown using standard Australian farming practices, which may include pest and disease management when needed.
One difference is that our roses are grown locally. Imported flowers are subject to Australia's biosecurity inspection processes, and if pests are detected, treatment may be required before they can enter the country.
Because our roses are grown in New South Wales, they don't need to go through those import processes.
For us, the biggest advantage of locally grown roses isn't just where they're grown — it's knowing the growers, understanding how the flowers are produced, and having a direct connection to their journey from farm to florist.
Where do you deliver?
Little Roses currently delivers across Sydney only.
Because our roses are grown locally and delivered within Sydney, we can keep the journey from grower to recipient as short as possible.
We're always looking at opportunities to expand. If we don't currently deliver to your suburb, head to our delivery information page and let us know where you'd like us to deliver next.
Why don't you sell roses all year round?
We could stay open year-round by importing roses. We choose not to.
Little Roses exists to celebrate locally grown roses, so we only sell them when NSW growers are producing flowers we're proud to send.
When local roses aren't available — or aren't looking their best — we wait for the next crop rather than switching to imports.
We think there's something special about following the seasons. And while we're waiting for rose season to return, there are plenty of other beautiful Australian-grown flowers worth falling in love with — you can find them at littleflowers.com.au.
Roses you can feel good about sending.
Grown in Dural. Delivered across Sydney. Available October to April, while local roses are at their best.
See this season's roses →