Plant your garden when temperatures are cooler and plants require less water—this is also less stressful for the plants. Use a thick layer of mulch around landscape plants and on bare soil surfaces—this reduces evaporation, promotes plant growth and reduces weeds. Collect the runoff from your roof in a barrel and use it on your plants and garden. Arrange plants in your garden according to watering need. This is called “Hydrozoning”. Remove weeds from the garden—this helps cut down on excess water consumption due to plant competition. Don’t overreact and try to drown the brown spots in your lawn. Simply moisten the area up a bit and the grass will green up in a few days. Create a compost pile and use it in your yard to add needed nutrients and organic matter to the soil. Don’t over-water your plants. Learn how much water they need and how best to apply just the right amount.