Consider planting a new bed in your garden with hardy, drought-tolerant plants that can survive the summer with little or no water.

Summer is quickly approaching. In fact, it feels like it's already here! Now is the time to exchange cold weather annuals for warm season annuals such as marigold, penta, periwinkle, portulaca, and purslane.

Perennial plants (such as crape myrtle) should really be showy right now, but to keep them that way, dead-head any spent flowers to keep them blooming. Consider planting a new bed in your garden with hardy, drought tolerant plants that can survive the summer with little or no water.

Visit the SAWS WaterSaver Garden at the San Antonio Botanical Garden to get some ideas on plants that can survive our San Antonio summers. Any time you plant, be sure to add at least a 2-inch layer of mulch to help conserve water and prevent weeds. If we haven't had any rain, you'll probably need to water your turf areas. Water thoroughly each time, and only once a week (we're in Stage 1 restrictions right now). Apply 1 inch of water, but you might need to make multiple short applications to allow the water to soak in without having water run down the street — in San Antonio that's a water waste violation.

Insect populations are at their peak now, but remember not all bugs are bad bugs so be careful what pesticides you use. You will want to keep the good bugs in your garden. The lawn probably needs to be mowed at least once a week now so keep those lawn mower blades sharpened to avoid damaging the grass with a dull blade.

If you follow all of the above practices, you will have a beautiful landscape going into our warmest months.

Donna Fossum is a conservation planner for San Antonio Water System.