Get Sunset's Western Gardens book.

And forget everything you knew about gardening in Zone 6a.

missed this. "Desert climate" is a bit too vague; there are 3 major deserts in the US. My best advice (non expert!) is to learn to love your native flora, and plant them. They'll do much better than trying to transplant typical plants successful in other areas.

As a complete newbie gardener who bought a home with a patch of bare dirt in the Chihuahuan desert, I've learned a lot and, of course, am still learning. I have a ton of books. Some of my faves are:

Sunset's Gardening in the Southwest (very pretty pics, and clear explanations of climate zones and what to expect)

Desert Landscaping by George Brookbank - superb reference, including info on pests and diseases, container plants, irrigation, etc.

The Hot Garden by Scott Calhoun; my favorite, and a great plant list

ETA: Unfortunately, the Southwestern forum here on GW is dead. The Arizona and Texas forums may be helpful. Texas A&M has a great website with lots of good plant info: http://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/

My local Master Gardener's organization was also very, very helpful.

This post was edited by Violet.West on Wed, Nov 19, 14 at 18:24

Google for your local university's AG extension guides. They have great lists and guides for what to plant when. If you're in need of seeds, try www.nativeseeds.com they're a great org and do so much good work preserving native flowers and crops. Their selection changes regularly and their stores are fun to visit in person, if you're in Tucson.

Your it flowers may not grow well here and you may need to plant them at times that seem strange to you. But, there's a lot of beautiful things that can be grown in the desert. You may decide to trade your flowers for some cactus and a fruit tree!

Date Palm