(BPT) - The past few years have not been kind to lawns and gardens across the country. The summer of 2012 brought severe drought to much of the Midwest and a good portion of the country continues to experience drought conditions. Homeowners have two choices in dealing with drought: try to water enough to keep grass and plants alive and looking good, or implement long-term changes to make yards more resistant to extremely dry and hot spells.

Fighting drought can be time-consuming and expensive. With forecasters and scientists predicting warming temperatures and more extreme weather events as the new normal, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that droughts could become more common and severe in the future. Making some changes to your approach to landscaping can keep you from worrying about your water bill and the well-being of your lawn when the weather isn’t quite cooperating.

Here are four ways to drought-proof your yard: