You will be amazed what you can grow in not perfect conditions. I would check out the local nursery and see what they recommend, but take some chances on a few plants that need good amounts of sun and see if they grow.

I recommend a visit to Dry Creek Garden Company on South Virginia, about two blocks south of the Home Depot across from the Hacienda Del Sol. There is a traffic light right where you turn into their little parking lot.

In more general terms, stick to things hardy in frost zones 5 and 6, and forget about anything zone 7 for Northwest Reno. Also bear in mind that even cactuses need a bit of supplemental water here to survive. Drip watering is great, and you don't have to water as much.

Overall,slash-nevada is right: there is a LOT you can grow here. Drive around older neighborhoods closest to your area and observe what grows well in yards. Take photos and/or notes to bring to the nursery so you can get the plants that really appeal to you.

Roses do spectacularly well here, although I recommend you only grow own-root (not grafted) varieties. You may have to use mail order to get own-root roses, but ask at the nurseries for own-root roses anyways. Roses do well here because the air is so dry and blackspot is seldom, if ever a problem. Blackspot is a disease that causes roses to lose all their leaves, get weak and even die in damper climates than ours.

Just a bit further east hollyhocks do quite well. They are inexpensive to try. Get a 97¢ package of seed and plant outside. Sometimes they won't bloom until next year but usually you will get some this year and can save seed this fall for more than enough next year.