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Mary Hoshide
★★★★★1 week ago
Sunny is a very reliable and consistent landscaper. I am always happy with their work and plan to keep working with them for many years!
Desert and rock landscaping in Anaheim that cuts your water bill, not your curb appeal
You keep a yard that looks finished from the street and drinks almost nothing. Sunny Gardening Service builds low-water yards across Anaheim and nearby cities: drought-tolerant plants, decomposed granite, river rock, gravel and drip irrigation, laid over proper prep so it stays clean for years. Call (657) 202-2644 for a free estimate.
No contracts, no pressure
Get a free estimate
Five quick questions. It goes straight to our phone, and we usually send a price the same day.
- Free estimates on every job
- The same crew every week
- Clippings and debris hauled away
In a hurry? Call (657) 202-2644 or text us a photo.
Open 7 days · 7 AM – 6:30 PM
What goes into a desert yard
- Drought-tolerant planting
Agaves, aloes and succulents for structure; salvias, lantana and desert shrubs for color; natives if you want habitat. Arranged in layers so the yard looks full in two seasons, not five years.
- Boulders and accents
A few boulders, half-buried so they read natural, anchor the design and make a small front yard feel composed.
- Drip irrigation
Every plant on its own emitter. Establishment water for two seasons, then the system throttles down to almost nothing.
Rock landscaping: gravel, river rock and decomposed granite
- River rock beds and swales
Rounded stone in beds and drainage paths that move winter rain away from your house. On Anaheim Hills slopes, rock swales slow the runoff that clay sheds in the first big rain of the season.
- Decomposed granite
DG paths, patios and full front-yard fields, compacted so they walk firm and shed water.
- Gravel side yards
The narrow strip where grass never grew anyway, turned into clean gravel with stepping stones, like the side yard in the photo.
- Prep decides the result
Ground cleared and graded, weed barrier where it belongs, rock at the right depth. Skipping prep is why other rock yards go weedy in a year.
Why Anaheim yards convert
- The rebate is real, and it has rules. The Turf Replacement Program pays for live lawn replaced with plants, a rain feature and drip, approved before you dig. Rock with no plants and synthetic turf do not qualify. See the Anaheim turf rebate steps.
- Front yards need a city look. Anaheim asks for new front yard and parkway landscaping to follow the city's landscaping requirements, so we plan the design with that in mind.
- Slopes love it. On Anaheim Hills and Villa Park hillsides where lawn was always a fight, rock and drought plants hold the grade and drink almost nothing.
- It stays handsome with a light touch. A seasonal groom from our landscape maintenance visits keeps it sharp; full redesigns start on our landscaping page.
Where we do this work
Turf conversions drive a lot of the low-water yards we build in Anaheim, and Yorba Linda owners with big lawns ask for the same thing to cut the water bill. We are based in Anaheim Hills and cover the cities around it, Placentia and Orange included.
Other landscaping services
What clients say
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Mellissa Stanton
★★★★★3 weeks ago
Sunny and his team are great! I discovered them a year ago when I was in need of a new landscaper and stumbled upon an IG advertisement. A simple click connected me and we set up an appointment. Everything since then has been awesome. No complaints whatsoever. Keep doing what you’re doing Sunny!
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Cathie Hunsberger
★★★★★3 weeks ago
Sunny is a very knowledgeable and considerate gardener. I’m already enjoying our new colorful flowers in our front yard!
Before you call
What moves the price
- How many square feet, and how much lawn or old planting has to come out first.
- The rock: decomposed granite, river rock and specialty stone price differently per ton, and depth matters.
- How many plants and boulders, and whether the beds need new drip lines.
- We measure, pick the materials with you and give you a firm price with delivery included. Free.
When we are not the right call
- If you want the turf rebate, a rock-only yard or synthetic turf will not qualify; the program needs plants and a rain feature.
Desert and rock landscaping questions we get
Does desert landscaping qualify for a turf rebate in Anaheim?
Replacing live lawn with drought-tolerant plants is what the Turf Replacement Program pays for. Anaheim Public Utilities customers apply through Metropolitan Water District's SoCal Water$mart program, and you must get approval before any grass comes out. Synthetic turf does not qualify. Our Anaheim turf rebate steps walk through the rules.
Is a desert yard really zero maintenance?
Low, not zero. No mowing and almost no summer water, but it wants a seasonal groom: weeds pulled through the rock, plants shaped once or twice a year, granite raked and topped up. About an hour a month against a lawn's hour a week.
Should fabric go under landscape rock?
Under decorative rock fields, yes: a good weed barrier keeps soil and stone apart and cuts weeding to spot checks. Under decomposed granite paths, no; DG needs to compact against the ground.
What does rock landscaping cost in Anaheim?
Material and coverage drive it: decomposed granite, river rock and specialty stone price differently per ton, and depth matters. We measure the area, pick the rock with you and give you a firm number with delivery included. The estimate is free.
Does rock make the yard hotter?
Dark rock in full sun gives off heat; lighter DG and river rock much less. Where summer comfort matters we mix rock with drought plants instead of laying stone wall to wall.
Will it look bare?
Only if it is designed badly. Good desert landscaping layers heights and textures, boulders, granite paths and sculptural plants, so your yard reads intentional from the street.
Get a free estimate
Call us, or send a text with a photo of the yard and the city you are in. That is usually enough for us to give you a price the same day.