Rooted in passion, a day in the life of a landscaper

It has always been part of ENL’s philosophy to ensure that our development is carried out in harmony and with respect for nature.

This commitment is reflected in our real estate projects for instance. Green and public spaces make up 35% of Moka Smart City, and Telfair has proudly earned the "Tree Cities of the World" label. Today, we invite you to meet one of the key players behind the beauty of our green spaces — someone without whom they wouldn’t be as vibrant and well-maintained as they are today.

Indeed, maintaining these spaces across the Group requires true expertise and know-how. Julien Nallétamby of ESP Landscapers is one of the dedicated professionals who brings this savoir-faire to life every day.

Julien is a jack of all trades. He started his journey with a graphic design degree from Charles Telfair Institute before switching to landscaping. He then went to Australia to study Horticulture and decided to come back to work in Mauritius. He tells us:

"Throughout my career, I’ve held a wide range of roles: from landscape design to installation and maintenance. This experience helps me better understand and connect with the people I work with."

Today, he is ESP Landscaper’s Regional Manager of the island’s South and West regions, and oversees close to 130 people. But what does his day look like? Let’s dive into the daily life of a landscaper.

It is between the sounds of waves and the early morning agitation of the hotel’s staff members that Julien starts his morning. His programme is different every day. This morning, in the unmatched heat of the West Coast, he has a meeting at Veranda Tamarin for a coordination project with numerous contractors. Unlike a traditional office meeting, here the discussion moves along the words: “frangipane,” “coqueluche,” and “arbuste.” The meeting then continues outdoors, on the project site, for a more concrete understanding and the opportunity to crack a few jokes. It’s with mud and sand on his boots that Julien’s first part of the morning ends.

But he doesn’t have any time to lose. He hops into his white 4x4 and goes straight to Albion, to the Club Med Villas, where ESP Landscapers oversee the common areas. The programme for today? Show the gardeners how to use the Flail Mower. The name sounds scary, but this useful machine, piloted by the gardeners themselves, helps accelerate the work and ease the physical strain on the body. Making sure his teams are using the best equipment and are producing the best work possible is one of Julien’s missions, but that’s not all of it.

“I am also accountable for thinking ahead. Creating a beautiful landscape is one thing, but creating a beautiful one that can easily be maintained is another. The reality of the field, understanding every part of landscaping, from the design to the maintenance, all of that is very important.”

For our colleague, the rest of the day is spent at the head office in Moka. Now comes the time for admin tasks and meetings, another aspect of the job that is crucial to his role as Regional Manager.

“Spending my day between field work in the morning and office work in the afternoon is essential for me.”

Behind every tree planted and every garden maintained is a team of passionate professionals like Julien, who embody ENL’s deep-rooted belief that green spaces are not just aesthetic additions but are vital to well-being, community, and sustainable development. Whether in the field or at the drawing board, their daily work brings to life ENL’s commitment to enduring landscaping.