Warmer weather is back, and Southwest Austin's green thumbs are returning to their gardens.

For the uninitiated, Austin can be a tricky place to dig in your trowel. Clay-like soil and the ever-present threat of drought means that not all plants and flowers will survive the blistering summer. However, there are many native species that can take the heat.

Community Impact Newspaper asked for advice from the following local experts:

• Andrea DeLong-Amaya, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
• Michael Cain, Vivero Growers
• Lyda Guz, The Natural Gardener
• Daryl Ramsey, Geo Growers

Pests and other threats

DeLong-Amaya: "Pest problems can be minimized by planting species that are well adapted to the region. If you do have a mildew problem or an insect problem, it's likely that it's growing in the wrong place. It could be getting too much shade or water."

Cain: "There is usually an organic solution that is safer to apply and effective against most things. Light horticultural oils will take care of most garden pests."

Ramsey: "Vinegar ... doesn't leave any poisonous residue in the soil. Avoid using synthetic herbicides and pesticides that do systemic harm to the soil."

Xeriscaping

DeLong-Amaya: "Basically, xeriscaping is designing a garden to use as little water as possible. If you have plants that need more water, you might gather them together so that you only have to water one spot and leave the drought-resistant stuff in other sections. If you water in the early morning or at night when there is higher humidity, plants will absorb more water."

Cain: "Familiarize yourself with plants suited for xeriscaping and make your selections for the look you would like. A lot of people think xeriscaping means desert look. But it doesn't have to be that way."

Soil

DeLong-Amaya: "Our soils tend to be fairly clay-[like] with a lot of rock in it. You can plant things that really like to grow in that soil naturally."

Cain: "Often shallow and rocky."

Guz: "If you're trying to grow food, you need to open up the soil, have lots of airspace and organic matter in it. What clay soils have is typically not much organic matter and not much airspace."

Ramsey: "Revitalize your soils with compost, soil activators and humus. Start mulching as the weather gets hotter, and add things to the soil that retain moisture."

Drought-resistant plants, grasses

DeLong-Amaya: Prickly pear, agave, sotols, cedar elm trees, red oak trees, autumn sage, cherry sage, mealy blue sage, turkscap (for dry shade)

Ramsey: "You could put seed down with your current grass and let the drought-resistant grasses take over."

Watering

Cain: "Plants need regular water to become established. As they mature, you can back off watering many of the natives and adapted plants."

What to plant

DeLong-Amaya: Gayfeather flower, Mexican plums, redbuds, Texas mountain laurels, Engelmann daisy, mealy blue sage

Cain: Peach, plum, pear and pomegranate

Guz: Red yuccas, lantana, blackfoot daisies

Ramsey: Beans, beets, cantaloupe, corn, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkins, radishes, spinach, tomato, squash, watermelon