I second the shoplight, and growing outdoors is climate based. I live in tropical climate myself, summers are too hot and humid to grow. Winters are better. Most do auto's, veg indoors at sunrise/sunset times, then put them out to flower.
Best time to grow is summer, long days, long veg, big plants. You are in a dry climate, deserts usually cool at night so as long as you can get to them easy to feed and water I would assume your best yeild would be growing from may - sept
However so long as you dont deel with frost or super low temps in winter I dont see why you couldnt do an 18/6 cycle inside, then stick them out and the cycle change should put them into flower. Fem seeds so you could experiment with 1 and use some cheap cfl's for veg...
Main thing is to find a spot you can keep them partially shaded for the first week or two while they adjust to the sun... Dont want to burn them.. Cutting some growth and putting it around them works well too, as the cut growth (bushes/shrubs) dies and the leaves fall off its slowly lets the sunlight in....