Every material at our Yard & Garden location comes from somewhere, in our case, from nearby. Most decorative rock on the market is quarried far away, shipped in, and sold on color alone. Ours isn’t. The rock, sand, and aggregates we sell are pulled from the ground right here in Sonoma County — at Stony Point Rock Quarry in Cotati and at Soils Plus in Sonoma — and every color you see in them is the color of our own local geology.
Originally, these materials were not designed with a garden or pathway in mind. Products like Sonoma Tan, Red/Brown Pathway, and Cotati Black were developed first and foremost as drain rock and base material for construction — built for drainage, compaction, and durability on job sites. But because they’re sourced from our own quarries rather than shipped from afar, they carry all the natural color variation of our land’s mineral makeup. That same rock built to move water off a driveway or stabilize a foundation turns out to be a beautiful choice lining a garden bed.
These materials are functional, yet they are beloved for other applications as well. The tan, red, and black tones in our aggregates come from the volcanic history under our feet: unsettled volcanic deposits, cooling basalt and andesite, mineral variation that took thousands of years to form. Because that story is authentic to this region, these materials double as some of the most beautiful decorative options for pathways, driveways, and garden beds — and because they are produced locally, they typically cost less than imported alternatives like decomposed granite.
Here is a closer look at three of our most popular locally sourced rock products.
Sonoma Tan (3/8” Chip Drain Rock)
Sonoma Tan comes our Soils Plus location, made up from a volcanic deposit that never fully settled, which is exactly why it has such rich, varied coloring — warm earth tones layered with occasional reds, whites, and darker flecks, almost like natural wood grain. It’s a lighter-density stone, which makes it an attractive, affordable option for walkways and garden accents, though it will weather and soften faster than our denser rock over time. That tradeoff is part of its charm: it is an authentic, born-and-raised-here alternative to imported decomposed granite, at a fraction of the cost.
Red/Brown Pathway
Our Red/Brown Pathway rock comes straight out of our Cotati quarry pit, where you can see the red mineral striping in the rock face that gives this material its color — a result of how the volcanic deposit cooled underground. It compacts well underfoot, which makes it a natural choice for garden pathways, and it creates a striking visual contrast when paired with our darker blue-gray basalt. Like Sonoma Tan, it’s a lower-density stone that will mellow and settle over the years, which many customers find only adds to its natural, worn-in look.
Cotati Black (3/8” Chip)
Cut from our highest-grade rock from the Stony Point Rock Quarry, Cotati Black is a finer, cleaner stone with noticeably more density than our tan and red-brown materials. That extra density means more durability, which is why it holds up especially well on driveways and other high-traffic areas. It’s a darker, more dramatic option for anyone looking to make a bold visual statement, with the added benefit of a longer lifespan before it needs topping off.
We 
like to think that these materials and rocks were born and raised here. Every one of these materials is quarried, screened, and produced within a few miles of where you will use them in your backyard, driveway or garden.