Meet the Team
Street Appeal Garden Solutions is based in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, NSW. At the heart of this business is a dynamic and passionate team who help people achieve their garden goals. Together they are a trusted group of talented horticulturists and industry professionals. Christine and her team provide outstanding service and exceptionally beautiful outdoor spaces.
Founder and Director
“To take ordinary gardens and transform them into something amazing has been my passion for many years. I love to create beautiful spaces that are welcoming, relaxing and inviting. I want to help people achieve their goals and dreams by doing what I know and love.”
Christine’s love of nature came from spending weekends in the Aussie Bush as a child and going on family camping trips to various National Parks around NSW. It wasn’t until many years later when she needed to create a privacy screen for the front of her home that she absolutely fell in love with plants and the whole process of creating gardens.
That was back in 2001 and since then she hasn’t stopped developing her knowledge and experience with plants and gardens. She has provided countless garden makeovers for her family and friends over the years while juggling a demanding career as a primary teacher and looking after her own children.
As often happens, a family crisis caused Christine to reassess her life and truly follow her dreams. As she cared for her Dad who was unable to walk or speak due to an horrific stroke, she dedicated any spare time she had to learning from experts and experimenting in her own gardens. During those years, Christine achieved qualifications in Horticulture and started her own business.
Horticulturist and Site Manager
“I have a passion for nature particularly for plants and trees. My desire is to create and share beautiful gardens with others and therefore inspiring others to love and care for their gardens.”
As child, Suzi was blessed to have the bush and the beach as her playground. She lived in a semi isolated spot where she came to love and appreciate the joy and peace of such a place. Suzi found connecting to nature helped her to become more centred and stress free.
Gardening has been a part of Suzi’s family for many years from general gardens to vegetable/herb gardens.
Later becoming a primary teacher she enjoyed incorporating nature into the classroom and could see the difference it made to children’s moods (knowing how much it meant to her as child).
Wanting a change from teaching and tutoring, Suzi decided to pursue her interest and love further and became a horticulturist. With encouragement and support from Christine, Suzi had this new opportunity and feels blessed to be part of her team.
Horticulturist
“I get the greatest joy and sense of satisfaction not only from the appreciation from friends, family, neighbours and clients after spending time in their gardens but from the insect, bird and animal population which return and repopulate areas that were once devoid of habitat for them. Giving back to nature is undoubtedly my favourite part of what I do.”
Abbie grew up in the regional town of Tamworth. When she was 3 her parents bought a house with a large, empty backyard. Her Father got to the landscaping right away – with Australian Native plants, of course. That’s when her love and almost obsession with natives began.
From childhood to motherhood there had only been sporadic moments where gardening was a part of her life until she had her two children, quit her retail management career and studied horticulture in 2015.
She gained employment at Newcastle Wildflower Nursery in May 2015 where she got to explore the world of Australian Native plants thoroughly, making connections with others in the industry and avid gardeners alike which continues to strengthen her plant knowledge.
Christine from Street Appeal Garden Solutions became a regular customer, forming a connection with Abbie. An employment opportunity arose and the rest, they say, is history!
Horticultural Team Member
“I love nature and all that it brings. Plants, flowers and the animals that enjoy it, makes me incredibly happy. We are so lucky to have so many beautiful plants in Australia, and I love sharing that with others. Helping people achieve what makes them happy in their own gardens is such a special thing to be a part of.”
Growing up in the blue mountains set Di up for a love of the outdoors and plants from a very young age. It makes her so happy to be able to help people in their outdoor spaces, whether it is maintaining a lawn or starting a garden from scratch.
The more time she spend in gardens, the more appreciation Di has for the way plants and animals interact and how important that is for the environment.
In her spare time, Di spends it in her own garden outside or in her jungle, indoors.
Horticultural Assistant
“I’ve always had a love for creating whether it be drawing, or creating new gardens, or improving old ones, and my hope is to inspire others through our passion and the creation of beautiful gardens”
Alice’s love of nature started when she was young, walking around barefooted in her grandmother’s garden picking fresh veggies and fruit and eating them straight off the plants. Going for bush walks in the mountains and in the country have always been a love and a place of peace. She always had a strong curiosity towards plants and dreams of having a big garden one day, and now spends her days growing veggies and herbs from seeds.
After years of working in a nursing home, Alice decided to follow her love of gardening and nature where she hopes to improve and create beautiful gardens. She also hopes to extend her knowledge by starting a TAFE course in horticulture and become a horticulturist along with her fellow teammates.
Horticulturist
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt connected to the environment. Being part of a talented team who embrace and promote sustainable practices is important to me. Opportunities to be creative and resourceful by repurposing materials aligns with my commitment to reduce waste. It is incredibly satisfying to provide unique sanctuaries for current and future owners while contributing to a healthier environment.”
Karen grew up with generations of gardeners on both sides of the family and treasures memories of time spent in their beautiful and productive gardens. Her parents’ business partner, Don McNair was a founding member of the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens. He encouraged an interest in conservation, sharing his vast knowledge while rambling through the bush.
While working hard with her husband running a small family business and raising two wonderful sons, a dream to study horticulture lingered for 20 years. With the untimely death of her beloved brother, came the realisation that gardening was integral to her healing process. This was the catalyst to finally study horticulture where she discovered the magic of propagation, importance of biodiversity and better ways to manage pests, diseases and weeds.
To now be part of a collaborative, reliable and hard-working team focused on professional development is truly an honour.
Horticulturist
“Gardens and outdoor spaces have always been an outlet for me. They are a place where I feel grounded and at peace. I want everyone to experience the same nurturing magic and sense of self-contentment that I get from being outside. I want to ensure that my understanding and engagement with the environment has a positive impact and I love being able to share that with others.”
Zyla has always maintained a love of nature, she has spent hours bushwalking and exploring waterfalls with her siblings in the Coffs Harbour region where she grew up.
She adores observing how plants and animals interact with each other and understanding their significance in natural ecosystems. Her interest in horticulture has also manifested into being both more environmentally conscious, as well as broadening her botanical and biological knowledge.
Currently Zyla hopes to learn more about curating native and productive gardens as a way to help restore the biodiversity in Australia to its full potential and work towards being more community dependant.
Horticultural Team Member
“I am the happiest I have ever been in my working career and feel truly grateful for the opportunity to work in so many gardens in our local area. Gardening is the closest connection we can have with our own patch of this planet and it’s a privilege to be working to help improve soil health and biodiversity for gardens in our community.”
Jules is a proud local in every sense of the word and is the 4th generation of her family that have called Newcastle home. Jules grew up camping and exploring with her parents, her Dad is a bushman and would take the family off grid at any opportunity he could, from outback adventures to coastal camping. This childhood helped to foster a real sense of environmentalism in her from an early age.
Jules went on to study environmental management and pursued a career in local government working in sustainability and waste management. As a community educator she worked with businesses, community and schools to reduce their environmental impact.
The pandemic provided Jules with the opportunity to reassess her priorities and has stepped away from project management and the desk to see more sunshine and reconnect with the outdoors. Jules was a Street Appeal customer working with Christine to nurture her own native garden when there was a spark and is now a part-time member of the team. She is committed and passionate about continuing her journey of improving the local environment and the lives of others.