Most people think plant selection is about color or climate. It’s not. It’s about emotion.
Plants set the tone of a space long before furniture, lighting, or art ever do. They can calm, energize, ground, or even provoke. The trick is understanding what each one communicates.
In Los Angeles, where gardens stretch between canyon light and coastal haze, plants are the language of mood. An acacia— especially the silver wattle you see in hillside gardens — is unpredictable in the best way. It bursts into yellow bloom overnight, then fades into a haze of silver foliage that feels wild and impulsive. Perfect if you want a garden with personality — and like to have a little reason to be spontaneous yourself.
An olive tree does the opposite. It’s composed, timeless, a bit meditative. It makes a courtyard in the Hollywood Hills or a patio in Silver Lake feel still and self-assured — a quiet reminder that patience is, in fact, a virtue.
And then there’s the ground cover — the part that softens the edges (and your day), giving your space soul. Think dymondia, creeping thyme, or clover — plants that thrive in Southern California light and fill the spaces between stone and step. A property without them feels exposed; with them, complete.
Every leaf and texture tells the body how to respond. A Los Angeles garden isn’t about perfection — it’s about balance, restraint, and rhythm. When designed intentionally, even the smallest plant can alter how a space feels, how you breathe, and how you move through it.
Created by Hommes + Gardens — a Los Angeles–based landscape design studio shaping spaces where design becomes nature, and nature becomes home.