New native plant concept: 'Native only works if it is applied thoughtfully and with control'

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MARKET & CURRENT AFFAIRS

Karlijn Raats, Wednesday 5 November 2025

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Lageschaar launches Wildissimo, enabling landscapers to garden without having to puzzle or sow

More and more often, clients ask the landscaper: 'Can it be native?' But for landscapers, that often means searching for the balance between aesthetics, biodiversity, and manageability. Lageschaar Vaste Planten therefore developed Wildissimo: a series of ready-made plant combinations of native and regular species tested in practice for structure, attractiveness to insects, manageability, and year-round visual appeal.

Wildissimo Moderato. Photo: Lageschaar Vaste Planten

'As green professionals, we constantly need to work on awareness,' says Laurens Lageschaar of Lageschaar Vaste Planten. 'And that starts with green education. Fortunately, we now see more and more young people visiting botanical gardens and parks on their own initiative. You can feel the growing hunger for plant knowledge and the increasing interest in native species.'

Well thought out

The Wildissimo project is not just 'a mix of wild plants' for the garden. 'We spent seven years testing, combining, and monitoring,' says Lageschaar. 'We looked at applicability in private gardens, for both small borders and larger projects. We experimented with dozens of native species. Not every native plant is suitable for small garden borders,' Lageschaar explains, referring to the discoveries made during years of field research. 'Some species, like Malva sylvestris, are beautiful and don't self-seed, but they're best used in more natural plantings with space around them because they appear large. Others are too invasive for a border. From such findings, we developed new plant combinations - all composed of native species or closely related garden varieties, combined with regular ones. We selected native plants that are widely applicable throughout the Netherlands, from Den Helder to South Limburg.'

'Nature in the garden doesn't have to be wild; we shape nature in a controlled way, without disturbing it.'

Wildissimo

Wildissimo consists of a clear selection model of nine combinations, each with its own character. Allegro is lively and colorful with striking tones, Dolce is a low mix in soft pastel shades, and Virtuoso is playful, with lots of structure and grasses. Other mixes are Amabile, Espressivo, Moderato, Staccato, Feroce, and Vivace. Lageschaar: 'In the coming years, new combinations will also appear, which we'll develop based on feedback from landscapers and designers.'

Each combination contains around fifteen species, half of which are native. Garden-worthy cultivars of native plants are also included. Think of Achillea millefolium 'Terracotta', Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna', Campanula trachelium, Succisa pratensis, and Achillea millefolium 'Paprika'. Lageschaar: 'This creates a planting with enough color, long flowering, and attraction for pollinators such as bees, hoverflies, and other insects.' During selection, Lageschaar paid close attention to key conditions: 'The color yellow, for example, is important for many insects. But blue and purple also attract certain species. We took that into account in our preliminary research.'

Unfamiliar means unloved - and Lageschaar Vaste Planten wants to change that. Lageschaar: 'Salvia pratensis is beautiful but rarely used. Succisa pratensis is another forgotten beauty: long-flowering, sturdy, and attractive to insects. Grasses and ferns are generally undervalued, yet they bring calm and balance to the composition without becoming rigid. Look at nature: there's more grass than bloom, and yet it doesn't bother us.'

Reliable final result

What sets Wildissimo apart is that it's not a seed mix but consists of organically grown plants in pot size P9. This ensures strong establishment and a reliable end result. All combinations are pre-tested and delivered ready-to-use: pre-mixed in crates or laid out on site. The landscaper therefore doesn't have to puzzle it out but can choose based on visual impression - each combination has clear reference photos.

Lageschaar: 'We paid special attention to structure and year-round appeal so that the planting remains ecologically valuable and visually attractive. Gardening means shaping nature - that's the definition of it. A planting must have structure, seasonal appeal, and contribute to biodiversity. That requires a thoughtful design. Not the randomness of a seed mix, but deliberate combination and positioning, based on plant characteristics.'
A good example is the mix that includes Leonurus cardiaca. 'That's a typical plant that flowers for a long time, forms sturdy seed heads, and retains structure even in winter. Like Althaea officinalis, it's a structural plant that provides calm and coherence to the overall picture.'

'Because you can process Wildissimo quickly and clearly, you keep your margin without compromising on quality.'

Wildissimo Staccato. Photo: Lageschaar Vaste Planten

Application and maintenance

For landscapers, every minute counts when planting borders. Easy handling is therefore key for efficiency. 'That's something we really considered with Wildissimo,' says Lageschaar. 'The combinations are delivered in crates that are pre-mixed, ready for planting. On site, the landscaper can simply lay them out. That saves not only time but also stress. The landscaper no longer has to puzzle over species and spacing - they can be sure it works. And because it's quick and straightforward, it's efficient without compromising on quality.'

Lageschaar actively advises landscapers on their choices and applications: 'Send a simple plan and some photos of the borders,' he says. 'We assess the situation - soil type, light, surroundings - and based on that, we select the best mix or create a custom plan. This is especially important for larger projects or rain garden situations.'

A key advantage for the landscaper is low maintenance. Lageschaar: 'We start with a well-prepared base using RAG soil or lava, which prevents weeds. The first two years may require some weeding, but after that, the planting becomes stable. The mowing regime is flexible - if you leave it standing until spring, it maintains a nice structure.'

Laurens Lageschaar

Easily scalable

The mixes are scalable and suitable for small urban gardens as well as large projects or municipal plantings. Lageschaar: 'You do need to look carefully at soil, light, and moisture. For rain gardens, we always create a custom plan. For larger borders, we prefer to lay out Wildissimo ourselves to achieve the best result. There's no pre-drawn plan, because layout is essentially painting with plants: as you work, you see what fits best. The most beautiful result isn't uniform coverage but natural patterns - clumps and tufts, with waving grasses in the right spots.'

Applied with control

'For a long time, native plants were seen as messy, overgrown, or unfit for gardens. But that's not true,' says Lageschaar. 'With Wildissimo, we show that you can use native plants in a beautiful, controlled way - so that landscapers can apply them with confidence. The greatest compliment we receive is when clients say: it looks beautiful, yet natural. That's exactly the balance we strive for.'

This article was originally published on October 24, 2025, on the website
of De Hovenier.

Lageschaar vaste planten

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