New to forum and gardening

Hi all.. I've never used a forum before so this is going to be interesting. I've only gardened for 3 years in my back yard with mixed success. I live in zones 8-9. Southern California is a hard place to garden. Extreme heat beats everything up. This year I am hoping to build myself a shade cover over some of my garden and see if I have any better success. I wish you all here great success with your gardens this year