HE takes them on a poetic journey through acres of lush vegetation, reciting the hidden wonders of each budding plant and blossoming tree.

“This is the Fish Tail Palm but he prefers to be called the ‘Rasta Man Palm’, he is very proud of his dreadlocks!” This little line elicits peals of laughter from the couples walking around with a blissful look on their faces. Yes, it is garden touring with Oshoi Powell on the grounds of Sandals Whitehouse European Village and Spa.

Seemingly quiet and reserved, with a hint of mischief when rapping with his colleagues, Powell is specially gifted with a boundless love for plants. This love has created a career for the youngster and has also given him a signature programme that he has easily claimed as his own.

“I do my garden tour six days out of the week for an hour a day for my guests. It’s so refreshing to always pass on information about the many plants that we have here. It’s even more exciting to listen to them ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ about how manicured our grounds are, knowing that I am a part of the team that help to maintain it,” said the vibrant 23-year-old whose eyes twinkle every time he speaks about various aspects of his job.

June Palmer, a guest who recently stayed at Sandals Whitehouse, took time out of her vacation and penned a letter to the resort team just to ensure that everyone knew how much she enjoyed her tour.

“My garden tour with Oshoi was a wonderful experience! He was pleasant, funny and so informative. He has a really nice way of interacting with the guests. Oshoi is a gem and his tour made our trip extra special,” said Palmer.

Comments such as these are nothing new for Powell; almost every day a similar feedback is sent to the resort or placed on TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, about this special team member who always leaves guests with a lasting impression.

Hailing from the cool hills of Manchester, Powell remembered a happy childhood with both parents and three younger siblings. He recalled the joy he felt getting his hands dirty, and watching his hard work come to fruition whenever he helped his father to plant and reap his crops.

“Agriculture is in my bones, I have been taught the importance of nature and how much I should value it just by watching my father and seeing the satisfaction he got from farming,” he said.

He completed his secondary education at Bellefield High School where he made his career path quite clear after achieving passes in CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate) agricultural science. He later moved on to the Ebony Park Heart Academy where he completed his studies in livestock rearing and ornamental horticulture.

Powell has been with the Sandals Whitehouse family for over four years as a gardener, but every week for six straight days he gives his tools a rest for an hour to take guests through the unique gardens of the resort.

Injecting lots of humour, he proudly informs guests of the common and botanical names of the plants, the life span of each, where they came from, their benefits, the ideal weather conditions and other prized details that many a doctor, lawyer, landscaper, chemist, police officer and teacher look forward to learning.

“I never admit to knowing everything about a particular plant because there is no way that I can. I always do my research on the Internet or go through books to find out more. I also rely on my guests who willingly share details that I didn’t mention, and then I just make a note of it, research the information to confirm and then share it with my colleagues as well as other guests.”

For that one hour every day, Powell said he uses the opportunity to speak on other details about the Jamaican culture.

“So it’s not just about plants on my tour, but our music, our dances, what the colours mean on our flag, why the hummingbirds love a particular tree, lots of details for them to think about and share with others,” said the aspiring entrepreneur who dreams of owning his own landscaping company in the next few years.

The ever-smiling Oshoi Powell pauses from tending to the plants in the resort nursery for a quick photo.