The benefits of homegrown laurel

The laurel is an evergreen. Literally and figuratively. In the assortment of Willaert Nursery in Roeselare, which in its own words "markets everything that grows and blooms in the garden," the stately and aromatic plant cannot be missing. In addition to a fixed supply of regular sizes and shapes in the Cash & Carry department, the wholesaler also readily supplies larger or more unique specimens at the request of garden contractors, architects or local authorities. What they all have in common is their origin. The laurels at Willaert Nursery come from Laurica-plants in Jabbeke.

Willaert is a resounding name in the green business. With over thirty years of experience, the company offers trees, plants, shrubs, grasses and a lot of other greenery for garden landscaping, garden centers, landscapers and the public domain. The roughly 5,000 species in the assortment come from various nurseries. "Some nurseries work exclusively for us," says buyer Chris Bruynooghe, "but there are also plants for which we work very specifically with a specialized partner. The laurel is one of them. That one has been purchased from Laurica-plants for more than ten years."

Why Willaert chooses to purchase from a specialized nursery, Bruynooghe illustrates on the basis of quality. "The laurels from Laurica-plants are remarkably fuller than, for example, those grown in Italy. You immediately notice that the plants were given more time, that more attention was paid to them, and that they were pruned more often. As a result, they have a nicer shape and a better structure. This is very important for a plant that is mainly placed as a solitary. Moreover, the fact that the plants are grown entirely in Belgium, about thirty kilometers from our own door, is another nice bonus."

Willaert Arboriculture's catalog already includes a complete range of topiary laurels from Laurica-plants, and the most requested shapes and sizes are immediately available in the Cash & Carry department of the wholesaler. "The stock at the Cash & Carry is replenished regularly anyway, but we can also always contact the team at Laurica-plants with specific questions. For example, it sometimes happens that a landscaper has a very exclusive form in mind for a catering project, or that an end customer sees one of his four special specimens fall ill and needs to look for a replacement that can perfectly match the other three in both form and size. That's when we know Laurica-plants has an appropriate solution. Not within a year, but tomorrow."

Bruynooghe speaks highly of the flexibility and personal contact he can count on at Laurica-plants. "For example, when we need a reference photo, price or additional information from an exclusive specimen, it is responded to immediately. That way, we can provide quick feedback to the customer ourselves and thus maintain our own service. And the same goes for deliveries. We don't have to wait until we have built up a huge order, but can perfectly also place smaller orders at the customer level. These are then grouped with other orders by Laurica-plants at a nearby supplier, so that they are still delivered at short notice and in a logistically interesting way. That service is very much appreciated by both us and our customers."