We recently connected with Christine Scheewe and have shared our conversation below.
Christine, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
It feels as if the last 8 years of my life have been full of life changing risks! All of them have led me to where I am today. I’m happy so I like to hope I’ve mostly made the right decisions. My husband and I had been living and working in Ottawa, Ontario when we decided to pack up and move to Hamilton during the 8th month of my first pregnancy. My job was based in Ottawa and he would be starting a new role here so we were putting ourselves into a risky situation with a baby on the way. I had never intended to be a stay-at-home mom for as long as I was. But so many things happened, one of them being the pandemic. Like so many people at this time, I leaned into my hobbies, with a passion. For me though, it wasn’t bread! It was roses. David Austin’s to be specific. But then it became more. I wanted to be outside during the lockdowns as much as possible. I really started to pay attention to my garden. Other people’s gardens. The Royal Botanical Gardens. The other paths around my home. But I was also really worried about the kids too. I had just been elected Chair at my daughter’s school council and I was worried about food insecurity. I was worried about the children who normally received support that would no longer be getting help when the schools were shut down. We have an amazing program here called Food4Kids Hamilton, as well as Community Fridge programs. Green Venture is another organization that I had been volunteering with through their “Grow-A-Row” program to grow and donate vegetables to those in need. I joined the Stoney Creek Garden Club. That’s when I first heard of Master Gardener’s. When the time came for me to return to work, I spoke with my husband and told him that I wanted to try something different. I felt like I was a different person. I had changed over the last several years and wanted a new career, something outside of the office. I watched my young children participate in online learning and thought “why can’t I do that too”? And so I did. I started down this new path by becoming a Master Gardener in Training. I also enrolled in the University of Guelph’s online Horticulture program where I graduated with a certificate in Horticulture with Distinction. It was a wonderful way to learn and study. But I felt underprepared for the “real” world. I felt ready for a test, but not really sure how I would do in real life. It was at this time I became aware of the GROW Program which is hosted in Milton at Landscape Ontario. It was everything I needed. At the time it was a hybrid program helping people become job ready. I cannot speak highly enough of this program. But even taking this program was a risk. It started late in the season. Horticultural jobs get filled in March/April. I wouldn’t be finishing until the first week of June. Other candidates would be accepting the positions I wanted. I learned more from their human resources training than I have in years. The care that the Landscape Ontario team puts into the success of their students is remarkable and it was worth the risk. Gaining another industry perspective has been an invaluable asset in my toolkit.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Christine, and I am the proud owner of Christine’s Garden based in Hamilton, Ontario. The glitz and glamour of floral design is what initially captured my heart. But then, being an integral part of my customers lives at certain times began to mean a lot to me. Whether it’s having to say goodbye too soon, welcoming a new life, or merging two together, I get to share moment’s that truly matter to people and that matters to me. I am a certified Master Gardener and Floral Designer. As a Designer I provide fresh floral designs for special occasions, weddings, and events. As a Master Gardener, I’m a passionate volunteer and provide free information to the public. Typically, this pertains to sustainable gardening, the importance of planting native species and stopping the spread of invasive species. Because of my personal interests I often end up speaking about growing food and food insecurity as well. I love helping people grow in the spaces they have. In my floral business I strive to be a chemical free florist and encourage customers to purchase locally grown flowers whenever possible. I am a mom and very active volunteer in my community. I love to exceed my customers expectations and provide the same level of customer service I expect for myself. I’m able to maintain a narrow client base which suits my detail-oriented personality.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I remember the first time I heard Brene Brown say something to the effect of “everyone is creative, it’s just whether they use that creativity or chose to let it die”. Please forgive my poor paraphrasing here. It was my lightbulb moment. It was finally the permission I needed to step outside of my imposter syndrome and be comfortable using my creativity as a genuine source of income. Maybe permission is the wrong word. Before having children, I didn’t seem to fit into either world completely. Too creative to be completely corporate. In my own head, not creative enough to be taken seriously as a “creative”. When truly it’s simply a matter of training, passion, muscle memory, and persistence. A love of what you do. I had to unlearn my own doubt,
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Did you know that I am an award winning face painter? A certified makeup artist? I’ve also travelled 2km below the earth’s surface in the name of science! At one point in my career we “followed the motorcade” IYKYK. All of these fun experiences have built up and led me to Christine’s Garden and I am grateful for them. Christine’s Garden isn’t just my second career. I feel like it’s been a lifetime of pivots in the making. Maybe that’s why it finally feels so right and I love it so much. After having my second child, I had started to see the world with different eyes. The way I felt about people changed. The way I felt about myself changed. The way I perceived my duty to society and stewardship to the earth was a whole new ballgame. Not to mention trying to keep two tiny humans alive when you’ve never done such a thing before. Things I used to be able to do easily, I could no longer manage, like commuting between cities for work and grocery shopping and feeding. Things I used to think were very complex, now seemed trivial. Those days are long gone, but it all led me here.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/christinesgarden.ca
- Other: [email protected] Website is being relaunched imminently www.christinesgarden.ca with the support of Digital Main Street Hamilton