WAUCHOPE - It is all hands on deck at this very busy time of year for Sandie Quennelle, her husband Greg, and their two boys Logan, 13 and Nathan, 11.
Sandie Quennelle is the owner of Quennelle Greenhouse, located in Wauchope just behind the historic Catholic Church. She starts her seasonal greenhouse business the beginning of March, when their boys are wrapping up another hockey winter. Together with Greg, who is an electrician with Kingston Midstream, the family comes together for the regular planting season.
In 1989, her mother-in-law, Sheila Quennelle, started the greenhouse operation. She passed away in 2013 and her treasure trove of knowledge relating to the business is dearly missed.
Said Quennelle: “When we open the greenhouse every year there is always a wave of emotion remembering Sheila."
In 2014, Sandie and Greg Quennelle moved to the family acreage at Wauchope and in 2016 reopened the business with pride, doubling their greenhouse space in 2021. Her father-in-law Maurice still lives on the acreage and helps out when needed.
Quennelle was born and raised in Windthorst and her parents are Cindy and Michael Hoffmann. Her love for flowers was inherited from her grandmother Sharon Hoffmann, who resides at Kenosee Lake.
Quennelle is opening the greenhouse May 2 and has been busy planting and enjoying every ray of sunshine. She sells a wide variety of product which includes bedding plants, annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, fruits, succulents and a selection of various shrubs and trees. The greenhouse also prepares gift baskets, hanging baskets, baskets for the Town of Redvers, fundraiser baskets for a Redvers Minor Ball fundraiser, and even flower arrangements for late spring and summer weddings.
Quennelle also takes pride in flower bed design and flower basket consulting.
"Being creative is the best part of the job as visually I can see what the outcome will be before everything grows to its ultimate stage." Customers can bring in a photograph of their own flower bed and she can design and select the plants, shrubs or trees according to their wishes, providing them a visual.
She also enjoys teaching anyone new to gardening about plants, their maintenance, and the customers’ best colour choices. She posts tips and tricks on her social media pages that are entertaining and informative.
"If a client is spending money on flowers and garden plants, I want them to have the best knowledge possible. Customers should be provided with a quality experience and receive the best bang for their buck.”
Quennelle Greenhouse is on Instagram and has an active Facebook Page. Each year, she challenges her Facebook friends to send in a picture of their favourite flower arrangement. These are judged by the end of summer by her own followers with the best-liked display being awarded a gift certificate to use the following year at the greenhouse.
She encourages people to take photos all season long. It is also a great way for others to see different colours and arrangement ideas. Last year’s winner was Joey Mailhoit.
Quennelle enjoys planting in the local community and giving back when she can. She likes to include children in her classes and does so with the help of the Redvers Library.
"Teaching them young to love the outdoors and planting will hopefully stick with them as they grow older.”
Quennelle also wishes to thank her family for all their support received over the years.
“Greg is my rock; he is an incredibly smart and talented man that can invent or repair anything. My sons also really help me out with the day-to-day operation, and we are truly a family-run business. We make a great team.” Quennelle also has several wonderful friends that come in and help during the busy transplanting season.
In addition to operating a greenhouse, Quennelle is also employed as a receptionist at the Redvers medical clinic in the offseason. Her boys are heavily involved in hockey, Logan with the U15 Redvers Rockets, and Nathan playing U11 AA hockey out of Moosomin with the Ice Badgers. Nathan is now registered in spring hockey as a goaltender for the U11 Triple A Wheatland Wild. This year you may just find some live hockey games online at the greenhouse.
Quennelle craves the hot and humid greenhouse atmosphere with the warm rays of sunshine basking down. The peace and solitude of a growing greenhouse is soothing to her soul.
“It is my favourite place to be in the whole wide world,” she said.
