Howdy, Esme! Welcome to the wonderful world of squarefooting!

Ummmm, lessee. Veggies you can grow in Phoenix....

Fried potatoes, stewed tomatoes, popcorn (popped on the stalk, of course), boiled peas.... ;^D

Seriously, pick varieties that say "heat tolerant."

HIGH DESERT TIPS & TRICKS:
I had a Squarefoot friend on another board who lives on the high desert. In a case even more extreme than Texas, he carried his heat-lovers into much of the summer by installing some raised beds under a carport. Other heat-challenged gardners have used the ancient trick of sunken squares, which provides a bit of relief to the plants, as well. (You dig a pit and put the mix at the bottom, or maybe stack a 24-inch wall of wood or cinderblocks, and put 8 inches of Mel's mix at the bottom--giving your plants some protection from sun and dry winds.)

WHICH ALSO WORK FOR ME:
His mint trick works wonders for my warmish, dry area as well: Get medium or large plastic storage tote. Fill with compost/dried leaves/Mel's Mix as appropriate. Drill a single 1/8-inch drainage hole in the side of the tote, 1 inch up from the bottom. (That is, NO bottom drainage.) This provides a permanent (sorta) damp spot for heat-stressed plants in 100-plus-degree temps. (Of course, in our sun-intensive areas, mint is a light-shade plant. Heh, I have a miniature rose blooming on a North-facing patio under a balcony, with a large shrub to block morning light. And I'm going to have to move the Meyer lemon away from the Western corner--the hour or so of afternoon sun is, um, overly generous. The ginger, tucked in the back center shade, needs a very long, thin parasol, I think. It is experimenting with horizontal growth, to hide behind other plants....)

This same shadey spot has seen any number of herbs and flowers bloom and maintain flowering--so I suspect the top shade idea would probably work for you, too.

HAPPY BEGINNING HEAT GARDENER:
I started a Texas friend out with 6-inch deep plastic tubs, using the single side vent. (I also supplied coir and expanded shale instead of peat moss and vermiculite.) She reports good growth and flowering, and some harvest already from her first gardening attempt, which she started rather late in the season. Watering has not been the horrible issue for her that many report by this time of the summer in North Central Texas. She took the storage bins when the family moved, and set them on a patio that gets a little sun. She has a ton of male blooms already on the squashes.

HEAT-PROOFING IN PHOENIX:
You will want to mulch deeply (at least 3-4 inches, up to 1 inch from the plant stems) as soon as the plants are large enough to hold their own (2-3 inches tall, with several true leaves, perhaps).

I strongly recommend the coconut coir and expanded shale rock, as well as an underlayer of dried leaves--which doesn't even have to be mulched--just stomp it down and expect settling. Dried leaves composting under the 6-8 inches of soil mix emit a gas that drives off bug pests.

Do use completely finished compost (dark, sweet-smelling stuff that seems like dirt--no big chunks or strong odors). Do not use any form of yard dirt, sand, clay, or "topsoil." (You can get away with potting mixes that are made of Mel's Mix ingredients, but no dirt.)

Your soil will still be better the second year--which will be good, because you'll be ready to really crowd those plants to Mel's numbers.

DO plant things close together (giving room for the hefty growth of heat lovers, as noted in this forum). You WANT the leaves to shade each other and shade the soil, just to combat the heat. DO plant shade-tolerant herbs, lettuces, etc. in the shade of the summer stuff to get established--they'll get plenty of sun in time for their fall harvest.

If your eggplants turn bitter, keep the fruit picked--they will recover when the weather cools a bit. Once cucumbers turn bitter, pull the plants and replace them after God turns the oven temps down--cukes never forgive. *wry grin*

Take full advantage of winter gardening - you are the one who can be pulling fresh salads and root veggies all winter long (even if you have to take a high-summer pause for a few weeks).

Explore the advantages of shade cloth in the summer and remay cover fabric in the winter.

Above all, have fun and enjoy the challenges and rewards of your gardening experience!

Hey Jacque! Cool, thanks for the response. ... didn't know cukes and eggplants can becom bitter ... *yuck* :P

It gives me hope that I can grow veggies here, maybe one at a time and see how it goes. Right now, I'm thinking of waiting for the cooler season, it seems more work to garden during summer :) Maybe my mini-compost will be done by then too.

First of ALL There is NO NO NO Such thing as "square foot gardening" IN PHX IT DOES not work. I planted in "spring" tomatoes. zucchini, cucumber, peppers etc as per "home depot" Now NOTHING worked except for a "few Tomatos" Now I lived back East and had very big gradens so I know what I am talking about. DONT waste your time. I covered my so called "square foot garden" with so called sun screen and I have to tell you that the heat 110 degrees sucked the hell out out everything. I had pepper plants NEVER producesd anything and along with zucchinni NOTHING NOTHING dont waste your time. This is an excercise in NOTHING NOITHINNG dont listen to the hype NOTHING hjappened with regards to my garden with fertilizing and aLL. DONT NOT WASTE YOUR TIME