The summer heat can take its toll on water-thirsty grass, leaving brown patches or, worse, crunchy lawns.

If your grass is cooking and your nerves are fried, why not upgrade to landscaping that’s better adapted to the desert climate? Now is the perfect time to plan your upgrade for installation in the fall.

If you don’t know where to start, check out snwa.com. The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) teamed up with professional landscape architects to bring you five sample designs that suit Southern Nevada’s climate. The designs include: Color Explosion, Child-Friendly, Entertaining, Low-Maintenance and Mojave Accents. These water efficient designs use a wide variety of lush plants, flowers and trees.

Now is a great time to plan for landscape upgrade:

• Before you remove any grass, sign up for the Water Smart Landscapes rebate program. Your conversion could earn you $1 for each square foot of grass replaced with water-smart landscaping.
  
  

• Do a little research. Order a free copy of a sample landscape design or the SNWA’s Water Smart Landscapes book by calling (702) 258-SAVE or visiting snwa.com.
  
  

• Get inspired. Visit one of the community’s demonstration gardens to see the variety of plants that thrive in Southern Nevada. You’ll be amazed at what blooms in the desert. You also can sign up for free landscaping classes and workshops at the Gardens at the Spring Preserve or Acacia Demonstration Gardens.
  
  

• Develop a master plan and budget. Draw up a landscape plan that outlines where you want particular plants and trees.
  
  

• Check to see if your sprinkler system’s existing pipes can be converted to a drip system.
  
  

• Buy starter plants. Choose plants in one-gallon containers instead of five-gallon containers - they cost less and will "catch up" to those more mature plants in a season or two.
  
  

• Mulch, Mulch, Mulch. Whether you choose woods chips, rocks or crushed granite, mulches prevent soil erosion and water evaporation.

Remember the fall watering schedule goes into effect September 1, returning to three assigned watering days per week. This means properties can water only on the three days assigned to their watering group. Keep in mind, time-of-day watering restrictions are still in effect. Sprinkler watering is prohibited from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through October 1.

For more information on the landscape designs, the Water Smart Landscapes rebate program or to find out about watering restrictions, visit snwa.com.