My Story

My name is Susan Anon and I am a lover of nature and gardening. Prior to marrying my college sweetheart and raising two amazing boys, I won an NCAA Championship and two Pac-10 Championships in gymnastics at UCLA in 1997 and 1999. I earned a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Management from UCSB, specializing in Conservation Planning. As a field ecologist at the Irvine Ranch Conservancy, my work focused on native habitat restoration. Amidst my work surveying local plants and wildlife, battling invasive weeds, and managing volunteers, I rented a community garden plot and began growing vegetables. I immediately fell in-love with gardening and have since built several gardens of my own.

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In 2016, I completed the Permaculture Design Certification Course at The Ecology Center and designed and implemented my first garden. This project entailed creating a fun and functional learning garden at a local preschool in Orange County, CA. The success of this project solidified my desire to create sustainable landscape designs for homeowners and school children alike. I named my business Sunrise Landscape Designs in honor of my parents, who instilled in me an early appreciation of nature during our countless visits to National Parks in my childhood.