Role: Managing Director/ Ficus Lyrata

I have worked at Pynes since 2011 for the previous owner. I then purchased the business when Colin retired in 2014 and my husband and I manage the nursey in Gordonvale and run a team of people taking over the Garden Management aspect and the Indoor Plant Hire service.

Prior to working at Pynes and now managing the business, my husband, David and I ran a landscaping and gardening business in Cairns. Before that I had worked in a nursery, we merged the gardening business with Pynes and now we’ve been successfully running Pynes Indoor Plant Hire and Garden Management and have over 25 years’ experience in our field. I love working outdoors, it’s fantastic getting to visit a lot of Cairns businesses to look after their plants. The clients become friends, I love what I do and enjoy working with my team very much, we couldn’t do it without them.

I was originally based in Brisbane and travelled to the Whitsunday’s where I worked on the island in various positions, I landed my job as Gardener which is where my passion for plants and being outdoors all started.
My favourite plant is a large, good looking Ficus Lyrata, the larger the leaves, the better. They are easy to maintain and make a great statement piece for your home or office.

As our job is very physical, we get in and out of our vehicles a lot during the day, lifting heavy plants, I always say “..it would be handy to have an extra hand to open a door when we have our hands full of plants.”

Making sure our plants are always looking their best during our regular maintenance is very crucial for us, this can sometimes be a challenge based on the weather and season at the time, however our clients really appreciate the knowledge we have when it comes to plant care.

Role: Plant Technician/ Peace Lily

I’m happy to say I get the opportunity to do a variety of jobs at Pynes Indoor Plant Hire & Garden Management. This includes the indoor plant care in offices, shops and hotels around Cairns. I also work in the nursery and when needed I join the garden maintenance team.

I have been working at Pynes Garden Management for several years now, long enough to be part of the furniture (or should I say plants?).

Previously I was working in both the retail and hospitality industry and many years in house cleaning before realising a job working with plants and my team really suits me best.

I enjoy the genuine happiness I see the plants give to those that work amongst them, these appreciative people realise the many benefits our green friends give us. I also love putting a little dirt on my hands, the best place to be really is in the garden.

I’ve been lucky enough to call Cairns home for the past 20 years calling North Queensland home since 1990, growing up on my parents Breadfruit farm in Bartle Frere.

My favourite indoor plant would have to be the Spathiphyllum Lily, which I call my Madonna’s as they’re commonly known by either the Madonna or Peace Lily, they look great in any office.

Some of the challenges we face at Pynes Indoor Plant Hire is the efficient delivery and transportation of plants as we face challenging restrictions at loading zones in the Cairns CBD. Loading Zones are limited to 20 minutes and sometimes we must lift a plethora of plants up a few flights of stairs which is great exercise for us, and it keeps us on our toes.

Role: Plant Technician/ Lady Bugg

My main role at Pynes Indoor Plant Hire & Garden Management I maintain and care for the plants, scope out new jobs as clients reach out to us, installation of new jobs so our Managing Director can keep up with providing quotes for the growing market.

I’ve worked with Pynes for over 10 years now and prior to this I was working on my family’s Heliconia Tropical Flower Farm in Darwin.

We really enjoy visiting the Atherton Tablelands each fortnight and maintaining our indoor plants and garden management for our local clients in the region, as well as our Cairns clients we visit on a daily basis.

My favourite indoor plant would have to be the Seifrizii which is also known as a Bamboo Palm. They can grow quite tall and are very lush in a home or office, adding a screen for privacy when they get to a certain size, they’re very popular with our customers as well.

Some of the challenges I face in my role is finding car parking and lifting heavy plants upstairs – same with my colleague Loreta, but for the love of our job, plants and customers we are happy to go above and beyond to safely deliver your plants in the best condition possible.