Sunnylands中心和花园为西南部干旱的风景带来了一种新的生态美学植物园，是Rancho Mirage传统的渴望蔓延的一个9英亩的沙漠之宝。新的解释中心和植物园庆祝出版商，外交官和慈善家沃尔特·安纳伯格和他的妻子Lenore的文化遗产，其相邻的200英亩的遗产长期以来是美国总统，外国政要和名人的撤退。与伯恩伯格夫人密切合作，詹姆斯·伯内特创建了一个博物馆级花园空间的集合，邀请每个季节的发现和沉思。
有机和自由流动在现场的边缘，硬景观表面和种植床线在中心附近的几何精度。经过一个宽敞的入门驾驶和正式的汽车法院，Frederick Fisher和Partners的15000平方英尺LEED金级建筑展览空间，咖啡馆，剧院和礼品店。中心的西侧窗户可以欣赏到活动露台的壮丽景色，还可以欣赏到超过10,000英尺高的圣哈辛托山脉的草坪。在露台的右侧和左侧，双反射盆映照着广阔的沙漠天空，降低环境温度，并用宁静的水声填充该地区。超过1.25英里的步行路径带领游客通过圆形功能草坪，在开花的沙漠树下，到迷宫花园，表演圈和解释显示的原生植物。
种植设计包括53,000个精选标本，来自50多个干旱景观植物物种，根据它们的雕塑特征，季节性利益和野生动物栖息地价值。整个场地的最先进的水效率措施使得花园能够茁壮成长，只有20％的水分配从Coachella谷水区。
Pioneering a new ecological aesthetic for arid landscapes in the southwest, Sunnylands Center & Gardens is a 9-acre desert jewel amid Rancho Mirage’s conventional, thirsty sprawl. The new interpretive center and botanical gardens celebrate the cultural legacy of publisher, diplomat, and philanthropist Walter Annenberg and his wife Lenore, whose adjacent 200-acre estate has long been a retreat for U.S. Presidents, foreign dignitaries and celebrities. Working closely with Mrs. Annenberg, the Office of James Burnett created a collection of museum-quality garden spaces that invite discovery and contemplation in every season.
Organic and free flowing at the edges of the site, the lines of hardscape surfaces and planting beds take on a geometric precision adjacent to the Center. Past a gracious entry drive and formal auto court, Frederick Fisher and Partners’ 15,000 SF LEED Gold-rated building houses exhibition space, a café, a theater, and a gift shop. The Center’s western windows frame a breathtaking view over an event terrace and lawn to the 10,000-feet-high San Jacinto Mountains beyond. To the right and left of the terrace, twin reflecting basins mirror the expansive desert sky, lower the ambient temperature, and fill the area with the restful sound of water. Over 1.25 miles of walking trails lead visitors past the circular function lawn, beneath flowering desert trees, to a maze garden, a performance circle and interpretive displays of native plants.
The planting design features 53,000 hand-picked specimens from over 50 arid-landscape plant species chosen for their sculptural character, seasonal interest and wildlife habitat value. Cutting-edge water efficiency measures throughout the site allow the garden to thrive using only 20% of its water allocation from the Coachella Valley Water District.
