PHOENIX (KNXV) — Arizona summers are hot, but your yard can help you beat the heat.

Arizona summers can be brutal, but experts say the right landscaping choices can help beat the heat and lower your water bill.

Experts at the Desert Botanical Garden say planting desert trees creates shade to protect other plants. They also suggest choosing low-water native plants like Texas Rangers and Yellow Bells to save money.

If you want to cool down your property, you may want to ditch the rock landscaping.

“Unfortunately, it can really add to the heat effect because those rocks will absorb that heat during the day and kind of exude it at night, so it actually increases the temperature in your yard,” Tracy Rhodes, Desert Botanical Garden trail manager, said.

If you want to make changes to your yard, experts recommend waiting until the weather cools down. That will give new plants a fighting chance to survive in Arizona’s often extreme climate.