Hidden inside the naturally beautiful landscape of Saint Lucia lies a secret garden filled with effervescent flowers, luscious palms, and serene waters. A place where couples come to escape and fall in love all over again.
This quintessential, charming and intimate sanctuary, Sandals Halcyon Beach, is home to many fragrant tropical blooms like the hibiscus, yellow shrimp, spider lily and jasmine plants and trees such as coconut, mango, almond, star fruit, and banana, all well maintained on a daily basis by the hardworking landscaping team.
Inspiration can come to us at any time and from many sources and for landscaper Aaron Hutchinson, working in a true Garden of Eden is the perfect opportunity to impact others while doing what he loves.
Aaron Hutchinson who hails from the southern community of Vieux-Fort joined the landscaping team at Sandals Halcyon Beach in 2019. “It’s a wonderful job to have, it’s therapeutic for me. That natural feeling, the pure oxygen from the plants always calms my nerves. Plus, it allows me to exercise. My body is always in motion,” he said.
Here in the midst of this tropical utopia stands an alluring frangipani tree known for its distinct flower petals and skeleton-like branches. “The frangipani petals fall off the tree on a daily basis. One day I looked at them and said I really don’t want to throw them away, they’re too beautiful. I thought about it and found a way to incorporate my love of art which I learnt at school, into my work. That’s how I started creating messages in that exact area, which has been referred to by the team members as the place ‘where the flowers fall’.” Aaron says, “Every day using the fallen flowers, I leave messages relating to either love, inspiration or harmony. I wanted to find a way to use my work to make the guests and even the team members embrace the resort even more. That made me feel like I contributed to the greater good, taking it one step further.”
“A few team members have told me when they’re not having the best day, they would visit the spot where the flowers fall to see what message was left there and it always feels like that message was left there just for them. ‘Deal life with love’, love is all you need’, ‘smile more today’ are just some of the messages I have shared. This experience has taught me to be persistent with my passion and that we all have the ability to impact others no matter our position, just be genuine with your actions. I try my best to share that understanding with my fellow team members,” Aaron said.
Landscaping Manager at Sandals Halcyon Beach Neville Gustave said, “Although Sandals Halcyon is known for its beautiful landscape, it’s the dedication and appreciation of the landscaping team members that make it what it is. A lot of work goes into maintaining the greenery while avoiding overgrown grass and trees. Aaron was very proactive with using the fallen frangipani flowers. The messages he leaves are always talked about by the guests and team members and we even feature it during our weekly nature walks with the guests. Aaron is the most creative landscaper in the department. He loves what he does, and always shares ideas on what can be done with the blooms in the lawn.”
When asked about his future plans in this field Aaron shared “The positive response I have received on this idea has really motivated me to push myself even further and strengthen my skills in landscaping and venture into topiary and strengthening my landscaping capabilities .”