California Gardening: Hello fellow Californians....let's introduce ourselves!, 1 by jills

jills wrote:
I was a DG member a few years ago and had to quit because it was such an addiction! This time of year I particularly love this site because it's like virtual gardening when the whether doesn't allow any ACTUAL gardening.

Unfortunately, my lot is only 5000 square feet and that includes the house. And I have a huge old oak tree (with which I have a love-hate relationship) that shades most of the back yard, further limiting gardening opportunities. But I make do.

We're in Sunset zone 16 or 17. The book says one thing, reality is the other.

My biggest pest challenges are squirrels and tobacco budworms. This past year I have discovered hundreds of white grubs in my new raised planters, but I haven't decided yet how much damage they do. I toss them out as I work the soil (got a couple of hundred on New Year's Day. That can't be good). My lab, Kelly, can also be a pest. She likes to lie in sun-warmed dirt and pees wherever she chooses (at least outside). She also likes to snack on abutillon.

I love my little gardens, though. The front is my sunny bit (I'll attempt to post a photo of that). About a third of the back is what I call my woodland garden; it's dominated by that oak so it's very shady. Another third is a dry-laid flagstone patio my DH and I installed last year, surrounded by raised planters built by that handy DH. I'm still working on the plantings for most of the planters. Last year I tried veggies in one, but reluctantly concluded that 4 hours or so of sun is just not enough.

Any ideas for an evergreen flowering plant about 1-1-1/2 feet high with a long bloom time that can deal with sun for only about 4 hours in the middle of the day? It rarely gets above 80 degrees here, and we get freezes a few times every winter. I don't want pastels there, but any other flower color is an option as the rest of the plants around it either are foliage plants or have white flowers. A pleasant fragrance would be a plus, as this will be in a large planter right on the edge of the patio.

Gardening is my therapy, as I have a pretty stressful job - not to mention one 15-year-old and one 12-year-old girl. Plants are grateful for whatever you give them and don't talk back!

Jill