By Jen Granneman. Planting in fall gives plants the best chance to establish deep roots before the intense heat of next summer arrives. I recently moved into a new home and, like many new homeowners, I’m very excited about the possibilities. I can already picture replacing my boring, existing lawn with colorful native plants, butterflies visiting the garden, and having a landscape that’s beautiful and drought tolerant!
Even though I’m itching to get started, I’m reminding myself of one important lesson I’ve learned living in San Antonio: Summer is not the best time to plant. But it is the perfect time to plan!
Instead of rushing to plant a garden during the hottest months of the year, I’m using the summer to stay inside in the AC and plan out my future landscape. Planning now means I’ll be ready to plant during the ideal planting season in fall, when cooler temperatures and three relatively mild seasons will give my new plants the best chance to establish deep roots before the intense heat of next summer arrives.
That’s exactly why SAWS has opened the Fall WaterSaver landscape coupon application over the summer for the first time.
To qualify, you need to get rid of at least 200 square feet of grass, along with any existing irrigation in the area. This year, SAWS has increased the coupon to $150 for each 200-square-foot garden bed. Eligible customers can receive up to four coupons (that’s $600!) to replace grass with drought-tolerant plants. Apply now — coupons will be distributed starting Aug. 15!
If you’re just getting started, here are a few easy ways to prepare for fall planting:
Choose the areas of lawn that you want to replace.
Take pictures of the project areas to submit with your coupon application.
Remove unwanted grass using sheet mulching or solarization.
Schedule a free SAWS Irrigation Consultation if there’s any irrigation in your project area.
Visit the San Antonio Botanical Garden’s WaterSaver community exhibit for inspiration.
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If you’re new to gardening like me and you need some help deciding what to plant, you can check out our free Plant by Numbers plans. As someone who is still learning which plants work best together, I find it reassuring to have professionally designed garden plans that make creating a beautiful landscape feel less intimidating.
If you prefer to plan out your garden using digital tools, I encourage you to check out Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s free Wild Thumb app for iOS and Android. Using the app, you can easily plan out a native pollinator garden, and it will walk you through all the steps of planning and planting your garden.
I’m looking forward to spending my summer planning and preparing so when fall arrives, I can spend more time planting.
If you’ve also been thinking about replacing part of your lawn, I encourage you to take advantage of this chance to plan out your dream WaterSaver landscape garden. A little planning now can turn into a beautiful, water-saving landscape later — that you can enjoy for years to come.
Jen Granneman began her career in marine science, studying ecosystems at the downstream end of the water cycle. Over time, her work has migrated upstream, where freshwater decisions shape everything from healthy rivers to resilient landscapes. Her appreciation of water started when she took up scuba diving as a kid, and she still prefers being in or on the water whenever possible. As a conservation manager, she oversees the rebates and coupons programs to help residents save water while creating functional and beautiful landscapes. When she is not working (or underwater), she can usually be found gardening with minimal water alongside her son or exploring San Antonio’s beautiful parks.