Jessica, here's what we covered

Turf and rock out, real soil in

This area is going to become multiple raised garden beds. Once the turf and rock are pulled out, put down a couple inches of compost and mulch right on top of that, that combination is what turns this into soil that can actually grow food instead of just holding up decoration. Olle Gardens is a great source for the raised beds themselves, and Arizona Worm Farm is where I'd get the compost and raised bed mix to fill them. My Maricopa County planting guide will walk you through what to plant and when as the seasons change.

Citrus out front for shade, bananas once that shade is established

This area gets a lot of sun and is currently just rock. Same first step as always, pull the rock, add compost, then mulch. I'd plant two citrus trees toward the front of this space to start building some shade. You've actually already got some citrus growing in pots, those are good candidates to move into the ground here, they'll be much happier long term with room to send roots out instead of staying confined. Just make sure they don't go in any deeper than they were sitting in the pot, planting citrus too deep is a common way to set them back right out of the gate. Lemon and a smaller lime variety can both go in right now too if you want to add more beyond what you're transplanting, no need to wait on those. Bananas can go in once the citrus here adds a little more shade, or they can also be planted right next to the house instead, they don't have invasive roots and they actually prefer staying warm through winter, so that spot against the house works well for them too.

I'd also add Wedelia as a ground cover through this area to help cool things down, same as we're doing over by the side yard rocks. Buy everything here at 15-gallon size or smaller, and get it all in the ground as soon as you can, three to five years is the standard wait before fruit trees really start producing, so the sooner it's in, the sooner that clock starts.

Cover this wall, one plant for the whole length

This is the wall we're calling the south wall even though it actually faces north. I'd cover it with one hedge variety the full length rather than mixing, Hopseed, Orange Jubilee, or Arizona Rosewood would all work here. Of the three, Arizona Rosewood ends up looking the most like a dense ficus hedge if that's the look you're after, but it really comes down to your preference. Space whichever you choose three to four feet apart so it fills in as one solid hedge.

Trim it professionally instead of planting under it

We'd talked about adding another tree underneath this mesquite, but I don't think that's necessary. If it just gets trimmed up professionally, I'd recommend King's Tree Service for that, this tree will be in good shape and keep giving good shade on its own, especially once the two new trees we're adding nearby fill in alongside it.

Bamboo is a good alternative if you want something different

If you decide you don't want to just let the existing Orange Jubilee grow out, clumping bamboo is a solid alternative here, it grows tall quickly and gives you a completely different, tropical feel while still delivering the shade you want behind the rock feature. It would also end up growing taller than the Orange Jubilee does. One thing worth clearing up, clumping bamboo doesn't spread and take over the way a lot of people assume bamboo does, that reputation really belongs to running bamboo. Clumping stays right where you plant it, just make sure that's specifically what you're buying. Greenlife Nursery carries it.

Same hedge here, just keep the pool in mind

Once the fence is put back along here, I'd run one of the same hedge varieties we're using elsewhere, Orange Jubilee, Hopseed, or Arizona Rosewood. The one thing to factor in near the pool is keeping the hedge line back enough that it isn't dropping leaves or debris straight into the water as it grows, which any of these three handle fine as long as they're not planted right at the pool's edge.

Continue the hedge all the way to the west wall, and a tree in the corner

Once the fence goes back up here, I'd continue whichever hedge variety you've picked all the way back against the west facing wall so the whole run reads as one consistent line. In the corner right there, either a Red Push Pistache or a Chinese Elm would be a great fit, both give you a strong shade tree to anchor that corner.

Iceberg Roses where the bottlebrush is now

Where the current bottlebrush is, roses are a good fit since this spot faces east and gets afternoon shade, which roses appreciate here more than full sun all day. Start by removing the rock, adding a layer of compost, then a layer of mulch. Iceberg Roses are my top pick, they'll grow the best out of the rose options for this spot. If you want more color variety, other rose varieties will work here too, they just won't perform quite as reliably as Iceberg will.

Ficus is my recommendation, Carob as a backup, same tree in both spots

The front yard needs two trees total, one where we're pulling the struggling ash and one in the middle of the front yard. I'd plant the same variety in both spots so they read as a matched pair. Ficus is my recommendation, that was one of the options you were considering, and a yard this size gives it plenty of room to grow into without any issues. If you decide you're not a fan of Ficus, Carob would be my next suggestion, it's a tough, well-shaped tree that handles our climate well.

Finish this wall with more Orange Jubilee

You've already got some Orange Jubilee established against this wall, and they all look like they're going to make it. I'd just continue with more Orange Jubilee along the rest of the wall to match what's there and turn the whole thing into one continuous hedge instead of a partial one.