As the summer temperatures heat up, check out these expert tips on how to maintain your landscape and garden as well as best practices for water conservation.

The specifics

SuEllen Mooney is a Collin County Master Gardener, a title she earned in 2016 following the required completion of 12 weeks of horticulture-centric classes and 65 volunteer hours, eight of which must be done at the county-owned Myers Park Research and Demonstration Gardens in McKinney. Collin County Master Gardener Association classes include soil science, plant science, landscaping, water conservation, container gardening, vegetable gardening, trees, turf, plant pathology and entomology. Earth Kind Landscaping techniques, including limited use of fertilizers and pesticides, are also taught and practiced by CCMGA members.

In an interview with Community Impact, Mooney provided tips on maintaining home landscapes and gardens during the summer. Mooney's recommendations include:
  • Mulch: Apply adequate mulch. CCMGA recommends finely shredded hardwood mulch layered about three inches deep which will result in the soil being about 30 degrees cooler than uncovered soil.
  • Don’t plant in the summer: Understand Texas summers and know that planting new plants in the middle of the summer is not a good idea because they will require a lot of water. Wait to plant when the temperatures are cooler.
  • Water effectively: The most effective watering is a drip system. If you don't have drip installed, water early in the morning and water around the base of the plant so there's not a lot of wastage. If you water the leaves, it can result in mold.
Diving in deeper

Kathy Fonville, who serves as the public education manager for the North Texas Municipal Water District, provided additional tips on conserving water in existing lawns and landscapes. She also pointed out that these actions can help manage water bills.
  • Water no more than twice a week: A critical factor to a healthy, drought-tolerant landscape is applying the right amount of water, at the right times. Watering deeply, but infrequently, develops a strong and healthy root system. Limit watering to no more than twice per week. Any more than that is not needed, even during the heat of summer. To know when and how much to water, go to www.waterisawesome.com and sign up for weekly, weather-based watering recommendations. Also, it’s essential to check your sprinkler system at least once a month to make sure it’s functioning properly and not wasting water.
  • Water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.: This will help minimize water loss due to evaporation during the active growing season. Also, it is better to water in the early morning.
  • Cycle & Soak: Use the Cycle & Soak irrigation method to ensure your water reaches deep into the soil and doesn't just run off into the street. Cycle & Soak involves running your irrigation system in multiple cycles of six to eight minutes, with approximately a half-hour in between each cycle.
Also of note


Mooney polled a group of CCMGA members requesting their list of must-have gardening tools. The top responses included:
  • Shovel and narrow trowel for clay soil
  • Pruning shears
  • Mini garden claw or cultivator
  • Moisture meter
  • Garden gloves/garden sleeves
A Hori Hori garden knife, which is a versatile Japanese gardening tool designed for digging, cutting and weeding—featuring a concave steel blade with both a straight and serrated edge—was also included in the must-have gardening tools list.

Get involved

Mooney said members of CCMGA work in the Myers Park Research and Demonstration Gardens starting at 7 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Guests are invited to visit with them as they work and ask gardening questions. Other upcoming events include a summer speaker series, viewable via Zoom, and A Walk in the Park 2025 to be held September 27. This annual event features Q&A opportunities with master gardeners and watching McKinney Plein Air Society artists at work.

Applications for the upcoming 2025 CCMGA training class are now open and will close at midnight July 1, 2025.