Boy, that is tough - I've noticed in my yard the Texas natives seem to not miss a beat, along with my OGR's, but many other plants just won't make it. We don't have any restrictions in Carrollton yet, but it's coming!

Take care, keep cool...

We've been digging plants out of the ground back into containers for placement in shady areas. Also putting things around the yard to shade plants that can't move. Mulching everything.

We are deep watering every plant including natives like sage and oak trees at least once a month.

Thanks for those tips, Kathy and Shirley. It would be good if more people pass along their tips for saving water.

As for me I also use saucers under almost all my pots except some of the very large ones.

I plant everything with a generous sprinkling of water retaining polymer crystals in the hole to hold the water in the area a little longer. Extra crystals are added to potting soil. If you haven't used crystals when planting you can stick a trowl deep in the area and drop some some dry crystals in the hole. The roots will soon find them. The water absorbing polymers do not make the soil soggy, but they hold water which is slowly released.

For the few roses I've planted in the ground in the last year I've lined the hole with heavy weight plastic with a few drainage holes cut out essentially making a big pot. The dry soil beneath and around wicks the water away from watered plants otherwise.

The big metal lined wood planters that sit on the ground were also lined with plastic in the bottom. Water drains quickly in raised beds and containers.

I water with a wand so no water is wasted going between plants.

I always use lots of mulch everywhere.

The soil in pots is mulched; some with wood chips, most with lava rock which with gloved hands is easy to remove to a bucket when you want to add more soil or repot, etc.. Lava rock also keeps the squirrels from digging in the pots.

Let the grass grow tall and water deeply so the roots go deep. Watering deeply enough is something I haven't been doing. Our small lawn, a mixture of Floratam, a sun and drought tolerant variety of St. Ausgustine we plugged in last year (which is covering fast) the old St. Augustine and Burmuda, looks wilted three days after watering.

Cut things back like some of the tall salvias. In this heat they won't try to grow back quickly and there are less leaves to transpire. They will at least live, if not bloom.

Don't water until it wilts.

Don't fertilize. It will burn the roots if they don't have sufficient water, plus it will just make things try to grow more quickly which will take more water. Blooms will be small on things like roses, but they won't die.

Install drip irrigation with the emmiters under the mulch. That way the moisture is retained longer.

Plant yard art to entertain yourself, instead of more plants.

Unfortunately this drought is not going to end real soon. Try to enjoy gardening anyway.

Here is a link that might be useful: Watersorb ... this is where I buy the crystals.

No water rationing here yet,
That I know of, anyhow.
But the monthly water bill is,
In itself,
A pretty good 'restricter'.

So, we fixed our washing machine
so that it drains into the back yard.

I can move the drain hose around
to almost every part of it.

This is a big help!

I realize this may not be a feasible for many of you,
But it certainly is a big help for me!

Rusty

Maybe I can figure a way to hook a hose to it, wind it out of the laundry room and out the dog door. LOL!

I am going to purchase a syphon hose to use for bath water. That way I can fill milk jugs with the water.

Rusty, you're right about the water bill! It is the biggest restrictor of all. The more you use in San Antonio the more you pay. The gallons you use are priced on an ascending scale. Some people read their water meters so they know when they are reaching a new plateau.

Our washing machine is on the back wall of the garage so it was fairly easy for Bob to hook it up to a series of connecting hoses that so I can direct the drain water to several places. He did have to drill a hole through the outside brick wall though.

Right now he is looking at how to run the kitchen drain outside. Does automatic dishwashing soap have a detrimental effect on plants? Laundry soap hasn't hurt roses or anything else. We've been running it outside for years.

There are grey water laws about not letting bath water drain outside automatically, but if you wanted to haul your own bathwater outside I don't see why not.

Now if one had an old fashioned decorative bathtub outside with fake lily pads floating on top the water would be nice and warm by dark. Hmmmm, but there is where I draw the line ... (grin)!

I harvest rainwater in a retention pond but that only works with RAIN! The last 4 storms went just barely by us.I only got some peeny sprinkles on ONE. What a pain!

Tommorrow I pick up a big ole truck bed of mulch. My seeds have come up. No more will survive seedling stage in this heat. It's time to put down a ton of mulch. I also soaker hose a lot of areas.

Pray for rain!!!

Roselee, here the water rate stays the same,
But the fees for garbage and sewer
Are based on the amount of water used.
So if you water your lawn a lot,
You pay higher garbage and sewer rates.
Makes no sense to me at all.

The only thing about the kitchen drain going to the yard
(that would bother me)
would be the temperature of water from the dishwasher.
I don't think the soap would be any problem.
But would there be enough grease residue
in the water to be a concern?
The water draining from my dishwasher is really REALLY hot.
I'd be afraid it would be too hot for the plants/grass.
The majority of my laundry is done in cold water,
When I do wash a load in hot water,
I make sure to put the hose in a place
where nothing will be harmed.

I'll be interested to know what you decide on this.

Rusty

I live in a desert, must face reality now. Hard-core xeriscape plants are a good idea, grouped in certain parts of your yard...but best to plan THAT ahead...risky to put plants in now. I use some old milk crate things temporarily for putting over smaller plants...I can put something on top for shading. And those plant support thingies can be put over smaller vulnerable plants, then pieces of shade material can be draped around to cover. Heck, I live in the country...who sees these things? The sun and heat are cruel now, no mercy given. Most of my pots are moved to a shady part of the yard. Grouped together like refugees from disaster, they're easier to water. And obviously, mulch, mulch, mulch. They claim La Nina is over now...what a cruel joke!

Here is a link that might be useful: Drought Monitor

It's the reverse of winter, plants covered to shade them for sun and heat instead of frost. I'm even bringing cuttings inside to root so I can start some things over.

Rusty - Water usage in San Antonio is only monitored in the winter specifically so summer watering doesn't affect the sewer charges.

Linda, I love your technical terms.

At least I didn't say thingamabob or doohickey!

or whatchamacallit

We have been in stage 4 for about 3 months now. Temps reached 114 yesterday, with wind gusts up to 40. Froecast of 112 today, windy of course.
Water well is playing out. City water is expensive. I am afraid to think of what July and August will bring.

4 days ago, there was rain in the forecast for every day next week. Now it is down to 30% on Tuesday, look for that to be gone by this evening.

They say the desert is moving this way. I think it is here now.

Oh Greybird, those temps and winds are terrible; and you with all your beautiful roses. If the drought continues through the summer will it help to cut them back so they will live with less water? I've read (and observed) that their growth pretty much stalls at high temperatures.

What part of Texas do you live in? The predictions are for 103 today where I am, and what's with the wind? We've had hot winds for weeks.

Rusty, I had not considered the very hot water from the dishwasher. Thanks for the reminder. It probably would not work to direct that water to the garden.

My clothes washer settings are configured to save energy. If I wash with hot water the rinse temperature is automatically cold. I usually wash with the settings on warm/warm so the temperature is okay for watering plants.

This drought is a mess, but it will rain again -- someday.

Happy gardening with short showers -- indoors that is. I'll welcome long showers from the skies any day now.

I just realized I misspelled drought.

I would be happy if it rained 1 of the days they claim it will next week. It would be nice to take a day off from watering.

I connected a piece of vinyl hose (1"?) to the A/C condensate drip pipe so I can move it around a bit directing the drips to provide some relief to a few lucky plants in the vicinity.

I also dug up some Canna that were getting out of control, I put them in empty 3 gallon plant pots to store temporarily so I could give them away but they started thriving and now are 4' tall with big fat leaves, I just realized they provide good portable shade, I can just drag the pots around to where I need shade.

I also had a 500 gallon concrete cistern put in-ground with plans to hook it up to the downspout and use it for my veggie garden. Then I learned about the dangers of using roof water on your veggies or fruit if your roof is composition shingle :-(. So now I am working on installing a first-flush diverter and a slow sand filter to get rid of toxins...Hoping to get it all hooked up before it rains -but I wont complain if it rains before I finish :)

We are in stage 4 they are giving us 60n to 90 days of water here .We get it out of the river .It makes me so sad. I have down sized in the last few years but I hate to lose my trees and shrubs. I am doing what most of you all are doing.

I stopped watering awhile ago. My rainwater system is very close to empty. I am trucking in water this week sometime. I think I might do a deep watering of some things when my husband is not looking. I now do not want to loose my trees. They are all natives. The Madrone is stressed and spider mites are attacking the cedar (not crying) but if they go and the oaks, man o man.

Everything out here around me is burn't up. Hardly anything on the ground that is green. I am having to rethink my stance on no watering. The natives are stressed. I am just praying that things come back

I hope nobody loses trees and big stuff. I'm praying we all get rain.

Got some rain. The lightening had me concerned because of fire. No puddles, the ground is so dry but .77". Gotta love it. Just to the east of us in Austin, got 2 ". GREEN with envy.