Gardening will probably come fairly easily. But what if you don't? What if you live in a desert or semi-desert area with wide temperature ranges and inconsistent moisture? What if you live in the drought-stricken western third of the US? Do you still have options? 

Yes. You do. Gardening in a semi-arid steppe climate is difficult, but not impossible. It definitely takes extra work and planning, but it does pay off. I have been gardening in a semi-arid steppe for almost ten years now, and not only is my garden more productive, but I can grow a wider variety of plants than I could when I began.

Start with the foundation – soil.

The first thing you need to think about is your soil, and this applies whether you're trying to garden on a small suburban plot or you have some glorious 4000-sq foot beast in the country. It helps to know what type of soil you have.