TexasWaterSmart.org is a beautiful website, with a very informative four-minute video and helpful advice regarding lawn care and garden care for home owners in Texas and of course other areas affected by continuing drought conditions. Since we have a substantial vegetable garden every year, I found some of these suggestions for Texas gardeners quite useful: "Water only when plants look like they need it. Most plants die from over-watering, not under-watering." I guess I knew that was true for houseplants, but hadn't really thought about it as regards garden plants. That is a good thing to know. And so are the following ideas that I am going to implement right away, since I have a few hanging baskets as well: "Use a trowel, shovel, or soil probe to examine soil moisture depth. If the top 2-3 inches of soil are dry, it's time to water. For hanging baskets, planters and pots, place ice cubes under the moss or dirt to help eliminate water overflow. Water your plants deeply, but less frequently, to encourage deep root growth and drought tolerance." Balancing water use during periods of drought with the need to care for lawns and landscaping plants can be a difficult balancing act. Swimming pools are a luxury of course, but they require constant maintenance and, of course, additional water due to evaporation. There are a LOT of swimming pools in Texas, so this is a big subject around here. But I'm going to leave the subject of maintaining swimming pools during a drought for another day, and focus on lawn and yard care for a moment here. TexasWaterSmart.org says: "Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway and sidewalk. Recognize signs of dry grass. Avoid watering until you can see footprints left in the lawn as you walk across it. Water in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler to minimize evaporation. Check outdoor faucets, sprinklers and hoses for leaks periodically. Adjust your lawn mower up at least one notch. A taller lawn holds moisture better." For more information or to become a member of Texas Water Smart Coalition, which is a public-private partnership of nearly 300 businesses, associations, research organizations and state and local officials, contact Jenny Griffin at 512-936-9583. And share your own water conservation ideas in the comments below.