The bad news: That precious resource, water, is in short supply again.

The good news: Today's Open House and Unthirsty Plant Sale at the Halawa Xeriscape Garden can help.

The annual event aims to show consumers the money-saving wisdom of xeriscaping — landscaping that employs plants and techniques that require less water than traditional landscaping.

Attractions include tours of the three-acre garden, computer terminals with xeriscape plant lists, a free mulch giveaway (bring your own bags), and more than a dozen nurseries/growers offering drought-tolerant plants.

Also, the Waikiki Worm Co. will offer mini starter kits of worms that turn household waste into organic material; the Water for People food booth's proceeds will help clean-water projects in other parts of the world; and the nonprofit Scenic Hawai'i has an informational booth about its greening activities.

There are free workshops, too: