our story
building hobby greenhouses for serious gardeners
Loren Daoust began building greenhouses by hand in a 1940s-era three-car garage that was little more than a shack. Now, more than 20 years later, he’s partnered with Cynthia Strawson – who has been gardening for even longer – and they co-own My Own Greenhouse from a new shop near Beaumont, Alberta, 30 minutes southeast of Edmonton.
For Loren and Cynthia, My Own Greenhouse is more than a business. Their hobbies feed into their work – this is their life inside and outside the shop. Loren is an inventor and builder, while Cynthia is an insatiable grower (Cert Horticulture), population health expert (MSc Nutr & Metab), and marketing professional (Dipl Ad & PR). Loren is as passionate about building as Cynthia is about gardening. Their complementary partnership is part of what makes My Own Greenhouse successful.
Every three-season greenhouse comes with their personalized customer service, from site advice to installation and follow-up. These greenhouses not only look good, they also make you feel good thanks to the therapeutic powers of natural light, soil, water and fresh air, and the satisfaction of growing your own plants.
Cynthia and Loren often hear people say, “I’ve always dreamed about having a greenhouse.” The smiles and sometimes even tears they share with customers when admiring a newly installed greenhouse proves that investing in a high quality greenhouse is worth the wait.
TIME LAPSE VIDEO
7′ X 16′ greenhouse assembly east of Edmonton
loren daoust
co-owner & COO
At 10 years old, Loren Daoust was helping his home-builder father with carpentry jobs. Decades later, he is the architect behind My Own Greenhouse.
Loren is the first to tell you he’s not meant to work in an office. Working in his shop to create and experiment is where he’s happiest. He’s always looking for efficiencies and refining processes. Even in his spare time, you’ll find him busy at a laser engraver or CNC router or crafting custom machinery.
When it comes to building greenhouses, Loren’s experience with galvanized steel and his training in plastics allows him to offer the most durable products on the market. His long-standing relationships with suppliers allows him to source the best material, and locally when possible.
Loren is a true builder who creates the best hobby greenhouses you’ll find in Western Canada, for 20 years and counting.
cynthia strawson
co-owner & CEO
renzo purnini
VP mousing & power naps
Cynthia has an insatiable love of gardening. She’s been growing plants in Alberta for more than 40 years, and her curiosity and joy, along with a love of snacking on homegrown picolino cucumbers, are infectious.
The smell of soil, the sound of rain on a greenhouse roof, being in the moment – Cynthia loves everything about gardening, except scarlet lily beetles. There’s always something new to learn, and Cynthia will be the first to dive in. Her master’s degree in nutrition fuels her appreciation for growing food, and she’ll happily share recipes, whether for healthy soil or a healthy meal, including risotto with home-grown peas, zucchini, herbs and broth made from the remnants of carrots, onions and celery.
Gardening is a non-stop interest for Cynthia, and you can even find her sitting in her greenhouse in the depths of winter, browsing seed catalogues, basking in the sun and doing the homework for her soon-to-be-acquired horticulturist certification.
Her favourite plant to grow is tomatoes because of their incredible complexity and diversity. She’s in awe of how we’ve forced this fragile Central American plant to grow in our climate, just one example of the adventure that exists within gardening.
Cynthia loves sharing her knowledge and experiments, and talking with customers about their plans for the greenhouse. She wants your greenhouse to work for you, and she welcomes your photos and stories of how you’ve tailored your greenhouse to suit your unique needs. Every greenhouse tells a story, and Cynthia never tires of hearing them.
renzo purnini
VP mousing & power naps
