Thanks. I tried fall carrots there a few years ago, and three months after planting, they weren't much larger than golf pencils. I will give leafy greens go.

You didnt mention if you're open to ornamentals, so I'll just mention what I've got on the north side of my house that has the same conditions as yours (crazy sun in summer and deep shade in winter): Aloe saponaria , slipper plants (Pedilanthus macrocarpus), regular Aloe vera, "red yucca" (Hesperaloe parviflora) and pencil "cactus" (Euphorbia tirucalii, not really a cactus but a succulent). I grow them in native, UN-amended soil and they've done great for quite a few years.

If your soil is rich/full of compost they probably wouldn't like it, but they might be nice to add in pots filled with VERY fast draining soil (like 50% potting mix and 50% pumice or perlite). Even in a veggie bed they might make nice accents in tall colorful pots (just make sure they don't get watered as much as your veggies!).

If you really only want veggies, Swiss chard has done well for me in mostly shaded conditions, and loofahs have done great in hot/sun in summer.

Let us know what you plant and how it works out. Happy gardening!

Grant

Thanks Grant.

I really am open to anything. I'd prefer growing something to eat or attract wildlife, but I really just want to cover that bare patch of ground so I'm not just fighting the weeds that do grow there.

Plans that attract hummingbirds that would grow nicely on the north side include:

Penstamon (any variety)

Autumn Sage -red

Mexican Sage-purple

Desert honeysuckle-orange

Justicia-orange

Baja Fairy Duster-red

Cape Honeysuckle -orange

Lantana~especially dallas red

Verbena-purple

Candelilla

Butterflies LOVE Milkweed, which I think is a cool looking plant

All of the above plants are low water plants :). Good Luck! Deana Bella Fiore Landscape Design

Summer will do fine. Winter will grow shade tolerant plants. My interest is only edibles. Some of which initially below may not fruit in the lower deserts of Arizona due to lack of chill hours:

SHADE TOLERANT

Partial Shade
May have less fruit.
Alpine Strawberry
Bamboo (some types)
Elderberry
Evergreen Huckleberry

blackberry

Full Shade

Bamboo (in sunny climates)
Carolina Allspice
Evergreen Huckleberry
Wasabi

blackberry
comfrey

http://www.raintreenursery.com/Landscaping.html

Some of the most common and beloved
vegetable garden favorites are perfectly suited for shade,
including:

Arugula (fast crop)
Basil
Celery
Kale
Lettuce (fast crop)
Peas
Potatoes
Spinach

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/shade-tolerant-vegetables-zm0z11zsto.aspx#axzz2gij52ibW

shade tolerant vegetables
from R. Kourik's "Designing and Maintaining Your Edible
Landscape Naturally" (1986, 2005, Chelsea Green) p. 133

Amaranth
Beans
Beats
Borage
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Calendula (flower only)
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Chervil
Cress
Cucumbers
Endive
Fava beans
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lamb's Quarters
Leaf Lettuce **
Leaks
Miner's Lettuce **
Nasturtiums
Nettles
Parsnips
Peas
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Purslane
Radishes (fast crop)
Salsify
Spinach **
Squash
Rutabaga
Turnips
** tolerate deep shade

• Shade causes leaves to get bigger to compensate and can
  increase unit size of crop compensating for loss in number
  produced. Indeed overall final harvest yield in weight can
  be similar.
• Tall plants can fit closely to shorter ones provided the
  vertical plants are on the north side or carefully planned on
  the east or west side.
• Trellises support squashes, beans, cucumbers, peas, melons,
  vining leafy greens and tomatoes. Many tall plants shed
  their leaves close to the soil surface allowing shade tolerant
  plants to grow underneath.
• Tall vegetables include sunflowers, corn, Jerusalem
  artichokes, grain Amaranth.
• Tall skinny vegetables such as leeks, garlic, salsify, celery,
  and onions can fit snugly next to lettuce, spinach, endive and
  other leafy greens.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

http://www.arthurleej.com/a-shadevegies.html
80 Vegetables needing or tolerating shady or low-sun sites in
Seattle

WOW!! Thanks Bella and Fascist_Nation. That gives me a HUGE jumping off point. Thanks so much.