Landscaping That Survives a South Louisiana Summer

Heat, humidity, heavy clay, and sudden hard rain. What actually determines whether a new landscape looks good in year three.

Most landscapes in our area do not fail because of the plants. They fail because of what is underneath them. Heavy clay holds water, flat lots do not shed it, and a bed that sits lower than the lawn becomes a bathtub after a summer storm.

Start with grade, not plants

Before choosing a single shrub, look at where water goes when it rains hard. Beds should sit slightly proud of the surrounding grade and fall away from the foundation. If water stands in a bed for more than a few hours after a storm, no amount of good planting will fix it.

Give the soil somewhere to breathe

Straight clay strangles roots. Amending planting beds with compost and a coarse material improves drainage and gives new roots a chance to spread instead of circling in the hole they were planted in.

Space for the mature size

A bed that looks full on install day is usually overplanted. Plants sold in three-gallon containers frequently mature at four to six feet across. Planting for the mature size looks sparse for a season and correct for a decade.

Mulch is not decoration

• Two to three inches is enough. More suffocates roots.
• Keep mulch off the trunk and stems of everything you plant.
• Refresh yearly rather than piling new mulch onto old.

If you are unsure what your property needs, we will walk it with you and tell you honestly what will hold up and what will not.