See the Worksheets section to evaluate how different areas in your garden provide very different conditions for plants.
As a clue to what will thrive in your habitat, look around to see what naturally grows in your neighborhood: ponderosas? pinyons and junipers? grassy meadows? Also observe which plants thrive in other gardens in your neighborhood. Be open to advice from other gardeners.
If you plan to grow vegetables, be aware that Flagstaff overlaps North America’s intermediate and short-day zones.
See The Arboretum at Flagstaff’s web page Resources: Gardening Information. Scroll down and click to download the Special Plants List, which is organized by the type of plant and its purpose in your landscape (for shady areas, to attract butterflies, etc.). Also on this page, click to download a draft of Native Plants for Northern Arizona Landscapes, which is organized by habitat type including high-elevation forest, ponderosa forest, pinyon-juniper woodland, and grassland.
Search for details about specific plants on The Arboretum at Flagstaff’s Plant Search Database.
Search for plant descriptions with photographs and recommended growing conditions on Flagstaff Native Plant and Seed’s: Native Plants for the Flagstaff Area.
To learn about landscaping that can lessen the danger of wildfire to your home, see this helpful pdf: Firewise Plant Materials