That western exposure in Phoenix is tough and really limits your choices. Bahia has some good suggestions although here in Las Vegas I've not found the purple hopseed bush(dodonaea) to handle the desert heat well. If you need the height with a width of no more than four feet it seems like you would have to go for a vine. Besides the ones suggested what about bougainvillea? Ours loves the sun and heat and will easily cover your space with quite a bounty of flowers. If you can have something that spreads out a bit more on top the Caesalpinias are very showy and tropical looking. Myrtus Communis Boetica takes a lot of sun and has a more evergreen traditional look with a twist but it is slow growing. The cordias are wonderful (Parvifolia and boissieri) and have fresh looking white flowers all through the summer but they might not want to be kept very narrow. Texas mountain laurel (sophora secundiflora) is another nice evergreen heatloving tree/shrub that blooms in the spring. It doesn't look like a desert plant but does well here although it is not a quick grower. Good idea to wait until fall to start your new project, Maria

Hi Gardener, When are you going? Are you driving there? If you have 2 weeks in Pheonix, it would be a shame to miss Sedona and the Grand Canyon. They're amazing. You can drive to them or jump on any one of many tours. Many will take you both places. You may want to post this question on some other forums, such as AZ gardening, or the cactus and succulent forum. Search on the web as well as the Pheonix phone directory to find junk, second hand, scrap, and salvage yards in the area. When you visit any second hand business, ask people there where others are as well as swap meets, flea markets, etc. Some will be listed on the internet, but many move around as real estate changes hands, so locals are a good source. Check estate and yard sale listings on the internet and local classifieds. Hope that helps. Linda Here is a link that might be useful: Sedona AZ Video and Info

Contact the Baker Nursery in Phoenix. They have been around a long time and carry a selection of figs that do well there.

Sorry, I don't get a chance to come here very often, but YES, you're exactly right. This seems hopeless. In the last weeks I've asked everyone I know for recommendations, and ended up with several contractors - none of whom panned out. One didn't speak sufficent English, one turned out to be lying about being licensed, one didn't want the job because it was too small, etc. The job is certainly too small for contractors who want to re-model a whole house. But because there involves a bid chandelier and a possible roof collapse if it's not done well, I'd like a licensed contractor, not a handyman. I'm so discouraged that I'm considering resorting to Angie's List. I've looked at the local Arizona site Rosie On The House, and Yelp, but they're useless. The local hardware store, which used to be a reliable source, has stopped giving referrals. I wish there was more of a geographical forum here. For that matter, isn't there a help desk or something? I find this site so difficult - refusing log-ins, no simple search for my own posts, trying in vain to see if it allows private messages.