How to get free money for a drought-tolerant garden

Zoom in: SAWS customers can earn up to $500 in coupons to spend on plants from a local nursery now through mid-October.

How it works: Apply for the WaterSaver Landscape Coupon by Oct. 15 to replace up to four 200-square-foot sections of lawn with garden beds.

• Once approved, you'll get a $125 coupon for each section (up to $500 total) to spend at participating local nurseries.
• Before planting, prep your garden bed and upload a "before" photo.
• Follow up with an "after" photo to show SAWS you used the coupons as intended.

What they're saying: "By pausing new planting until the fall, new plants will have all fall, winter and spring to establish their roots before the heat of next summer," Karen Guz, SAWS vice president of conservation, said in a statement.

Pro tip: While the new plants will be hardy to drought, they still require hand watering with a hose when freshly planted, Guz said.

• That's allowed at any time under SAWS' current watering restrictions.

What's next: If you're eligible, SAWS will approve your coupon application in about two weeks.