Desert gardening is definitely very different from many other places in the country. I'm native to Phoenix, but a pretty new gardener. There are a couple a referees I have found to be priceless in helping me through this heat.

'Gardening in Arizona' by George Brookbank

Also the Arizona Master Gardener Manual has SO MUCH info, I go to that almost daily.

One other thing I learned is to MULCH, MULCH, MULCH. If plants go left unmulched for hardly any time in this heat, their roots tend to cook. I've found for containers even in part sun, 3-4 inches of mulch is necessary.

Oh, another one. :-) Direct sowing seeds usually works better, vs starting seeds indoors here too. It helps only the hardiest plants survive, and those will do SO MUCH better in the heat.

Don't give up gardening! There really a lot of things you can grow here. You just have to acclimate to the climate.

I feel your pain :-) This time of year is tough, and for plants in pots it's even tougher. With west facing exposure, you're getting the hottest sun of the day. Water and temperature are the keys. If a plant can't take up enough water through its roots to stay ahead of its transpiration through the leaves, it will wilt. We see the wilt and think "it needs more water", so we water. Makes sense right? Wrong. Most of the time, what this is tell you is that for this plant, in this pot at this time, it needs some shade. If you water every time this happens, you have overly wet soil that can lead to fungus and root rot. That being said, depending on conditions some pots do need watering more than once a day. If a plant wilts and then springs back when the sun setsÂyou need shade. Confused yet? The other thing is the temperature of the soil and the pot. People will argue this all day and into tomorrow, but I swear by terracotta pots. They breathe, and as water evaporates through the porous material, it cools the soil and the roots. Plastic, resin and some glazed pots donÂt do this. As a result when a pot sits in the sun, it heats up and slowly cooks the roots or adds additional stress to the already stressed plant. One solution is terracotta. The down side is terracotta needs more frequent watering and of course, youÂd have to repot. Another solution is to put the pot in a larger pot with some newspaper or other insulation in-between. Want the best of both worlds? Plant in terracotta and then put that into your decorative pot. Also check that the plants arenÂt in need of repotting. Root-bound plants have their roots next to the pots surface and feel the heat quickly. Hope this helps.

jkochan - Thanks for the idea of double-potting. It's one of the moments when I say to myself...'D'OH!" And I definitely agree with terracotta.

Definitely a world of difference from Seattle to Phoenix but Please don't give up. There are many wonderful plants you can grow. I lived in Phoenix for fifteen years and still miss many of those plants. I have a greenhouse now but my bougainvillea and hibiscus just don't look the same.

If the jasmine is star jasmine it does need shade. I think all jasmines do but the yellow Carolina jessamine.

The jalapenos might have been getting too much nitrogen. Try fertilizing with a high phosphorus (middle number) bloom booster type fertilizer.

check the hibiscus for spider mites.

HP's Plants for Dry Climates is a good book too.

You can grow many tropical houseplants outside if you have shade and water.

If you have only sun then bougainvilleas and (some) palms and hibiscus and salvias do well in containers. Even citrus.

You can plant "bedding" plants twice a year. One group starts in fall and then another in late spring when heat fries the first group.