Design-led choices for Southern summers
In New Orleans, late summer is relentless. Heat, humidity, and heavy rains put every garden to the test. Yet the right plant palette doesn’t just withstand August — it flourishes. As design leaders, we view planting not simply as decoration but as the framework that gives a landscape rhythm, proportion, and longevity.
This month’s Plant Palette highlights five selections that thrive in our climate while embodying the core design principles of landscape architecture: texture, form, line, structure, and balance.
Texture: Ligularia (Tractor Seat Plant)
Texture defines contrast. The bold, glossy leaves of Ligularia anchor shady corners, offering a lush counterpoint to finer foliage. In August, when many plants wither, its architectural presence continues to ground the design.
Form: Agapanthus
Form gives gardens identity. Agapanthus, with its upright stalks and globe-like blooms, punctuates planting beds and borders with grace. In repetition, it delivers rhythm; in clusters, a sculptural moment that commands attention.
Line: Autumn Fern
Line moves the eye. The arching fronds of Autumn Fern soften stone edges, guide circulation along paths, and provide a sense of flow. Even in peak summer, its copper-tinged new growth adds seasonal nuance.
Structure: Shi Shi Sasanqua
Structure is permanence. Evergreen and refined, Shi Shi Sasanqua camellias create definition through summer, then shift with the seasons to deliver vibrant blooms in fall. They are the framework that sustains design year-round.
Balance: Foxtail Fern
Balance holds it all together. With its airy plumes, Foxtail Fern bridges the visual weight of evergreens and the looseness of perennials. In repetition, it creates a calm harmony across the garden.
Why This Matters
Great gardens aren’t built on chance — they’re built on design. By selecting plants for their design role as much as their seasonal resilience, we create landscapes that thrive in New Orleans’ climate while offering beauty, function, and longevity.
This is more than planting — it’s design.
At Landscape Images, our team of landscape architects and designers create and maintain gardens that endure. From seasonal color programs to full-scale design-build projects, we deliver outdoor spaces that reflect New Orleans’ unique character while standing the test of time.