Coastal salt exposure, inland heat and canyon shade all get different plant lists.
What we build
- Drought-tolerant and California native palettes
- Succulent and desert-modern gardens
- Screening hedges and privacy planting
- Specimen trees and focal plantings
- Soil amendment, mulch and headers
- Planting tied to a matched irrigation zone plan
Documented buildBuilt by us · Real project
Flagstone Patio & Tropical Beds
Point Loma
A yard that used to sit empty is now the most-used space at the house — the stone, the planting and the walkway all speak the same language from the moment you step outside.
See This ProjectRight plant, right microclimate
A palette that thrives in Poway can struggle in Point Loma. We choose for your exposure, wind and soil rather than repeating one template on every property.
Planned for how it will look in year three
Spacing is set to mature size. Plantings that look slightly open on install day are the ones that still look intentional after they fill in.
Planting we install
Specimen and shade trees, screening hedges, foundation and border planting, garden beds, groundcover and slope planting, plus the soil prep, headers and mulch that make them establish. For low-water and California native palettes, see our drought-tolerant landscaping page.
Privacy, screening and shade
The most common request we get is privacy from a neighbor's second story. Layered screening — a tree line, a mid-height hedge and something at eye level — works better and looks far better than one row of the same shrub.
Our work
Planting Projects We've Built
Real Staples Landscaping project pages — same trade, around San Diego County.
Read first
Before you start your planting project
Planning and cost guides from our own build experience.
Plants, Trees & Drought
The Best Drought-Tolerant Plants for San Diego Yards
The low-water palette we actually specify, sorted by the job each plant does in a design.
3 min readPlants, Trees & Drought
California Native Plants That Thrive in San Diego Gardens
Natives that look intentional in a designed yard, organized by role — shrubs, groundcovers, grasses, pollinator and screening plants — and the summer-water mistake that kills most of them.
4 min readPrivacy & Shade
The Best Privacy Trees and Screening Plants for San Diego
Screening that works on real lot sizes, without the roots and maintenance nightmares of the usual suspects.
3 min readServing San Diego County
We take on planting projects in La Jolla, Del Mar, Carmel Valley, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Poway, Scripps Ranch, Point Loma, Coronado, North Park, Chula Vista, El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee, Escondido, San Marcos, Rancho Santa Fe, Mission Hills, Clairemont, University City and surrounding communities. See all service areas.
Licensed C-27 Landscape Contractor — CSLB License #1159370
Common questions
- What are the best drought tolerant plants for San Diego?
- Cleveland sage, Westringia, lemonade berry, deer grass, agave and Aloe 'Blue Elf' all perform on very little water. Our plant database lets you filter by water use, salt tolerance and inland heat.
- How long until new planting fills in?
- Perennials and grasses read as established in one season. Shrubs take two to three years to reach designed mass. We plan spacing for mature size rather than instant coverage.
- Do drought tolerant plants still need irrigation?
- Yes, for the first one to two years while roots establish. After that most of our palettes run on deep, infrequent drip cycles.
- Can you install large or mature trees?
- Yes, subject to access. Larger specimens need equipment or a crane route into the yard, which we scope before committing to a size.
- What is the fastest way to get privacy from neighbors?
- A layered screen: a fast-establishing evergreen line, a mid-height hedge and eye-level planting. One row of a single shrub takes longer and looks thinner.
- Are you licensed for planting work in San Diego?
- Yes. Staples Landscaping holds California contractor license #1159370, carries liability and workers' compensation coverage, and pulls permits on any work that requires them. You can verify the license directly with the CSLB.
- Do you serve my part of San Diego County?
- We work across San Diego County — coastal, central, inland, East County and South Bay. Each area has its own soil, climate and permitting reality, which is why we publish neighborhood-level pages rather than one generic service area list.
