I moved to the high desert area a couple years ago and it's been a new experience gardening.
This year I planted a lot of corn, melons and pumpkins "Hopi dry planting" style. I planted everything about 6-8 inches deep where the ground is moist and it was up in a week. You have to time it for the monsoon season to save on watering.
Most everything will need shade from the afternoon sun; either shade cloth or being planted behind a building.

I'm impressed with your Hopi Dry Planting Style. What was it like to dig in this hard dirt 6 to 8 inches?
I am trying "Water-Less" gardening, using hay and straw.
So far I just have 3 plants I bought from a nursery - basil, rosemary and lavender. I plan to do everything else from seed; tomatoes, cucumber, mint, peas and green beans are what I have planned for right now. I plan to start those seeds this coming week.
When you say "hi desert" - where are you? I am in the Rio Verde area, north of north Scottsdale.

I'm closer to the "four corners" area not far from I-40. We get a good amount of snow in the winter and have a short growing season; it got down to 10 below zero last winter and the cold persisted up to June. Everyone here got a late start on their gardens. I actually started my tomato seeds 3 times. I joke about it being too cold to plant here until it's too hot to plant.

I have goats and chickens and when I clean out the barn I dump it in the garden area all fall and winter. This spring, after a freak rainy spell, I tilled up the area and then later used the shovel to plant the seeds deep. The clay soil is improving and I actually found an earthworm the other day!

The soil is very alkaline, so some things do much better than others. The corn likes it, squash, turnips, beets, brussel sprouts, cabbage. I tried growing some blackberries and blueberries, but they all died.

I also planted every sort of bulb from Daylilly to Tulip. I've probably put in over 1,000 bulbs (it keeps me from going nuts in early winter). The ones that do best are: Daffodils, Gladolius, and Red Hot Pokers. A few Tulips come up and the Daylillies, a couple Dutch Iris; everything else was a "no show".

I've planted a few spinach and Indian Mustard seeds. It's too late here to start anything that likes it warm. Last year I had to start using heat in the house in September!