Plymouth Man Captures Beauty Beyond Words
The Synopsis
- A Plymouth man has a knack for capturing nature where it’s at. Quinn Schomburg’s passion is inspiring people across the region with his small business, PumQUINNs.
Plymouth Man Lets Work Speak for Itself
Plants don’t need words to communicate. Their colors speak for themselves. That makes Quinn Schomburg good company in his work at Pleasant View Gardens.
“He’s a very good worker. Very focused, very detail-oriented,” said Quinn’s supervisor, Cassie. “It’s good to put him on a task that requires a lot of attention. Because he will give it his all, and do it very well.”
The 25-year-old Schomburg certainly blooms where he is planted. He’s passionate about all living things, including the cats that roam Pleasant View and the plants he helps to grow.
His mom, Carol Schomburg, said Quinn was definitely destined to work in a greenhouse. Since her son is nonverbal, he communicates primarily through a cheerful thumbs up and his hard work in the garden.
“They have totally embraced Quinn as being a worker bee,” Carol said. “They really recognize his strengths and his abilities, and they are making full use of those.”
Quinn gives his supervisor, Cassie, a “thumbs up.” Cassie said he’s cheerful and has a funny sense of humor.
Starting PumQUINNs
Carol knows her son’s strengths well after 25 years. His favorite plants are pumpkins, a love he’s had since he was a baby. Carol said the first time Quinn sat up on his own was with the help of a pumpkin. It was almost inevitable that he would work with plants eventually.
“Quinn is amazing. He has always been a nature lover, ever since he was a little boy,” Carol said.
As a boy, he began carving jack-o-lanterns. Through the years, he has carved hundreds of them. Carol said it was getting expensive to buy pumpkins for Quinn to carve at the store, so they encouraged him to plant some of his own.
He did. To great success.
That love’s continued to grow over the years, as he now has his own plot of land in Rockford to grow pumpkins, gourds and squash. He also grows Carol’s favorite flower — zinnias.
Quinn sells those pumpkins, carved and not carved. He also sells his gourds and squash at the Plymouth Farmers Market under his orange tent for his business PumQUINNs. That business started in 2021, giving an official home for the pumpkins.
Every pumpkin Quinn carves has a big smile on its face. When Carol asked an elementary-age Quinn if he’d like to try carving a sad or spooky pumpkin, Quinn declined. Why? Carol recalls what he said:
“‘Pumpkins are happy to grow up to be jack-o-lanterns,'” Carol reflected. “It just makes me think of life in a whole different way.”
And when I asked Quinn about that sentiment, he nodded– he still feels that way.
A photo, taken by Quinn, of one of his signature smiling pumpkins. People can buy this in card form, or stop by his market in the fall to pick up a pumpkin of their own.
Sharing Through Photography
Of course, those plants only come around once a year. The rest of the year, Quinn has another skill up his sleeve: photography.
“Being nonverbal, he communicates through photography and other imagery,” Carol explained. “So, this was just kind of that next step for him.”
Quinn’s photographs are vibrant and detailed. He takes them with his iPhone and does not edit the images.
Thanks to a push from his coworkers at the greenhouse, he now sells those images as prints, and most popularly, as greeting cards. PumQUINNs’ photos have made their way to an Etsy shop, farmers’ markets and most excitingly for Quinn — the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Carol said the cards are selling well.
Quinn has some serious support at his markets. His friend Matthew St. John and girlfriend Maggie Allen have known Quinn since childhood. They fill the silence for him, taking orders and answering questions from curious customers.
“Do you like cats?” one shopper at the Waytonka Club Spring Market asked Quinn. Maggie jumped right in.
“Yeah, he LOVES cats!” Maggie exclaimed in response, as Quinn gave his signature thumbs-up.
Quinn gives a ‘thumbs-up’ to one of his customers. Another way he communicates is through sharing photos on his phone, like his current favorite: a photo of his grandma’s cat.
Key Companions
When I talked to Maggie and Matthew, I asked them if they knew what he wants to say. Almost in unison, they both said “Yep!”
That’s a powerful friendship — and an important business partnership. Matthew said this business makes sense for Quinn. They both enjoy his company.
“It just makes him happy or something, so yeah, it’s very nice,” Matthew said.
“When he needs help, I’m there for him,” Maggie said.
Quinn is grateful for their companionship. When I asked how their presence makes him feel, he smiled.
“Happy,” he said.
“Each one has their own strength, and they rely on each other all the time,” Carol added.
The trio, alongside Carol, also put together the cards for their market sales. About once a week, they sit down together to catch up and stick photographs to cards.
It is quiet work for Quinn. But as he attaches the pictures, you can see each one is saying something different for him. A bright picture of tulips, a yellow sunflower (Maggie’s favorite!) and a detailed shot of mushrooms all communicate different things.
Quinn is making his mark on the world, in his Instagram account’s words — “without saying a word.”
The group works diligently to put cards together for markets. From left to right– Quinn’s mom, Carol, friend Matthew, Quinn and girlfriend Maggie.
Finding Quinn
If you’d like to check out Quinn’s work, he has a booth at the Plymouth Farmers Market beginning in mid-August. For the first four weeks, he sells mostly cards. For the second four weeks, his popular pumpkins, gourds and squash are also for sale.
Quinn’s cards can also be found at the Arboretum, on his Etsy shop and at various markets throughout the year.
Also See: Plymouth Farmers Market Attracts Shoppers with Diverse Offerings
