I didn't know I was supposed to plan.
Well now I do and here are some tips I've learned:
1. No matter where you live many drought-resistant plants have some characteristics in common: they have leaves which are small, thick, glossy, silver gray or fuzzy. Look for these plants at your local nursery and be sure to ask the nursery attendant for more drought resistant plants.
Creeping phlox is perennial, gorgeous, and drought resistant
3. Mulch. Me and my black thumb thought that mulch was just to make the dirt look good for the neighbors. I didn't realize how important mulch is to retaining soil moisture, insulating plants' roots, and regulating soil temperature. Mulch layers should be several inches thick. Beware: colored mulch is dyed mulch so many of the benefits of the mulch are reduced by the negatives of the dye.
4. Weed your landscape beds. Having a lot of weeds competing for water may pull water away from your landscape plants causing you to have to water more often.
5. Use perennials when possible. Perennials tend to be more drought resistant by their very nature. Use annuals sparingly because in addition to requiring more water they frequently are not as hearty and require more fertilizer, pesticides, or plant food.
6. Consider some hardscape: landscape walls, rocks, gravel, benches, etc., can all be beautiful additions to your planting beds and require no water at all. I'm not saying you should fill your lawn with garden gnomes (though you'll never hear me besmirch the gnome!), just a few well chosen implements can replace plants quite nicely.
The differing sizes of rocks and mulch fill in this area nicely
If you're lucky enough to have an irrigation system it's a great idea to install a moisture-sensitive monitor so the sprinklers only run when necessary. If you're lucky enough to have a gardener then thank your lucky stars, give him or her a refreshing glass of lemonade, and go relax. If you're me then you'll be out there this fall digging up the poorly-placed-too-big-for-the-bed-and-in-the-wrong-place-for-sun-requirements plants and finding new homes for them.
Now go play in the dirt!