I think you just described where I live! The only difference is that I don't have sand -- just crushed compacted rock with a layer of caliche underneath. And strong winds most of the year that dry out everything even more.

The good news is you have lots of sunshine and mild winters. The rest you can work on. This means you have to reverse your thinking -- your growing/planting season starts in autumn and ends when the temps hit 100 F. Be prepared for your plants to go dormant or end their life cycle in the summer. The only things we plant in warm weather here are palms and some native desert trees.

You need to amend your "soil" with organic matter (compost). Amending soil and watering will be much easier to control if you have planters and in-ground raised beds. They don't have to be tall. If you plant shrubs and trees, you need to build a walled moat around the plant, to make sure the water goes directly to the roots. Also, determine your soil pH and pick plants that thrive in that environment. Mine is very alkaline so I acidify some of my beds (for veggies). By the way, lemons need acidic soil as well, so it's important to find out what you have.

I have started some plants from seed but always in small containers. Then I plant them in amended soil and give them a 50% shade cloth for a couple of weeks.

When it comes to ornamentals, I highly recommend desert-friendly and native plants. Don't try to recreate your old garden. I tried to grow roses here and failed miserably, even though it was theoretically possible with lots of compost and water. I'm growing colorful perennials native to the Southwestern U.S., succulents, ornamental grasses, Mediterranean herbs and fruit (figs!), as well as African and Australian natives that love my conditions.

As you can see, I just stared Swiss chard and my basil is still growing. I also started lettuce, arugula, parsley, chives and green onion but they are too small to see in the pic. Our high temps are still in the mid-80s. (The skewers are to prevent cats from scratching...).

I could go on forever.... Please don't get discouraged, you just need to make a few adjustments and I have no doubt you will succeed. And you need to get local advice, I can't stress that enough.

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

I have a question for you, JoJo.

You told Dreamdraws, the OP: “You need to amend your "soil" with organic matter (compost)”.

This was after Dreamdraws told you: “we basically only have sand...”

My question is: What source do you recommend for Dreamdraws’ organic matter?

It really depends on what there is available. The OP mentions that his neighbors have gardens, so there is a local source. If they are in a big city, I'm sure there is bagged compost for sale. In a small town, it could be composted animal manure from a local farmer. As usual, local advice is best.