I need all the help I can get regarding gardening in the desert. It is so completely different than gardening in Seattle! A couple of books are really helping and both are available at Amazon.com:
Palm Springs-Style Gardening (Maureen Gilmer). Beautiful pictures, author favorites lists. Great design ideas.
Desert Gardening (Brookbank)
All the practical things you need to know. Info on irrigation systems, soil amendments, finishing touches like decomposed granite that keep the sandy soil from blowing out of your beds!
Desert gardening tip of the day: Wear sunscreen and a hat and stay hydrated!