You forgot the March Nor'icane (as I call it). Where locally we had near hurricane force winds for hours on end. It' been abnormally warm (and dry) since about April. I have one big tree behind my property that has already dropped all its leaves! I tend to not worry about the grass and let it go dormant in the heat. I DO vigilantly water all recently planted trees and shrubs (those planted within the past two years!). I'm not big on annuals and the a lot of the perennial plant material I have is drought tolerant (everything from hardy Opuntia cacti, to bamboo to yucca). Doesn't look like much widespread rain in the extended forecast so keep watering for now. But you know when it turns around we'll be dealing with record flooding.

More than a week later, and still not a trace of rain --- and forecasts for record-breaking heat and bone dry for at least 4 more days. Two major thunderstorms passed by, but my town was the eye of the needle. I've devised a system of micro-moats around newly planted perennials and shrubs to allow water to puddle there and that seems to help them survive. Even the tops of established pine trees are turning brown. I hand water twice a day now; fours hours. I've learned some valuable lessons through this about plant survival, soil composition, watering techniques. Let's hope enough of my planting survives this year for me to employ my new-found wisdom --- hehe.