Today we’d like to introduce you to Selia Qynn.
Selia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began my gardening journey at 4 years old when I first heard in a Sunday School lesson about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. I’m a big fan of true stories, so I was elated that there was such a place. But before the end of the story, it was gone, and I was devastated. So I asked God that if He could please give it back to me, I would take care of it.
Fast forward to age 40 when I bought my first home. More specifically, I bought my first yard that came with a house. That child’s prayer was a dim memory by then, but unconsciously, something kicked in and I believe my obsession has been to fill the void in my psyche created by the snatched-away Eden story. So here I was with a blank canvas and a lot of ideas but no master plan. Luckily, I have a superpower of being able to see things that aren’t there yet. I can look at an area and my imagination is like a visual overlay on reality like a painting that paints itself. That’s how I come up with ideas. The garden began one area at a time like this – just enough that I could accomplish my vision in a weekend. Over time, the projects grew and I bought adjacent homes and turned all of their backyards into one giant wildlife habitat and got a Backyard Habitat Certification from the National Wildlife Federation.
I also figured I should do something with the houses, so I converted them to several fully furnished and equipped temporary rentals and started renting them to folks in town for cancer treatment, and eventually put the listings on Airbnb which has been very lucrative. The rentals serve two purposes: it brings lots of wonderful people to my door, and it supports my gardening habit and artistic endeavors. Plus, I love having visitors, from tours to musical concerts, weddings, retreats and just friends stopping by. I love the sound of running water because it relaxes the mind and blocks the sound of traffic. I installed numerous small ponds myself, and a disappearing stream that recirculates and oxygenates the water for the wildlife. I eventually attended a pond-making class to see what else I could learn and took away two main things: No matter how big your pond is, you will wish it was bigger – and if you’re building a really big pond, hire a professional. So I did, and now I have a 12,000-gallon koi and tilapia pond. I had water lilies until I got a duck. They quickly disappeared inside the duck. He’s lucky he’s adorable because that’s the only reason he survived his poor food choice.
My inner child thinks she’s an artist, so I let her paint the beehive and do murals and poetry on the fences, give the rabbit hole some curb appeal, glue hands and faces on trees and pretty much anything that occurs to her. My secret to a happy life is that I have no adult supervision and my motto is “Why ask why when you can ask why not?”
I guess I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to get back to the Garden. In the meantime, I’ll be happy just tripping over epiphanies in my own backyard. I had another conversation with God later on as an adult. I heard that Eve lived to be 550 years old, so I said ‘If you can let me live that long, I’ll take care of the garden every day.” I haven’t heard no yet, so I guess I’m immortal so far.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think a smooth road exists. If it does, it’s not on my map. As you can imagine with any property, there are always things breaking that need fixing and it’s not always easy to find good help. I pretty much run the show solo which takes all day every day. Sometimes I think I’d like to take a vacation, but that would involve finding a bit of that smooth road. If you know the way, I’m all ears.
Please tell us about Habitat House.
My rentals are the bread and butter of the business. I have 5 one-bedroom apartments and a 3-bedroom home that are fully furnished and equipped temporary housing solutions. The thing that sets them apart from others is that they encircle a beautiful garden oasis that is a backyard habitat certified by the National Wildlife Federation.
I guess the thing I’m most proud of as a company is that I can bring happiness to folks who are suffering with cancer by offering relaxing surroundings, smiles to children with all the animals to see, a place where people can just get away without leaving the city. I’m especially happy that I don’t have to drive to get to work.
I specialize in being creative. I am a possibilitarian and love to inspire that in others.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Digging in the dirt.
Contact Info:
- Address: 10037 Hazelhurst Drive, Houston, TX 77080
- Website: www.selia.com
- Phone: 281.772.7100
- Email: selia@selia.com
- Facebook: Selia Qynn
Image Credit:
Selia Qynn
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