You can do gladiolas now. If you stagger the plantings, you can have good flowers over a certain period.
I put in some crocosmias a couple or 3 weeks ago.
Pretty much all other bulbs I plant go in the ground sometime around November. I know we divide & replant Iris in August in this area. Lillies have been annuals for me. They return, maybe, maybe not.
South African bulbs like Ixia & Sparaxis & Watsonia like our climate, but those are planted in Fall. Scilla peruvianus is another showy one that is a perennial here that I like. And if you like Elephant Ears, they will overwinter and come back if you cut the foliage down and cover the bulb with a mulch layer over the Winter.

I'm in the Bay Area.

Freesias need no winter chill and are my favorites for the incredible scent. Ranunculus, especially the gorgeous Bloomingdale hybrids, also do well here. Both should be planted in the fall. It's really too late to put them in the ground right now. Narcissus and daffodils can be planted now, though. You can also find dahlias as well as glads, to put in.

Some clumping daylilies are evergreen in our climate, but not all of them. Much better bang for the buck are alstroemeria, Peruvian lilies. Their dormant period is very short and the flower power is outstanding if well fed.

Thinking outside of bulbs, you'll have an incredible variety of plants available to you now that are as showy as any bulb but evergreen and more floriferous. Many plants you are accustomed to thinking of as annuals are tender perennials here and often evergreen. This includes pelargoniums, lantana, calibrochoa (mini-petunias), callas (although they need cool soil to stay green), cannas, agapanthus, cerinthe, salvias, plectranthus, osteospermums. Citrus, especially the popular Meyer lemon, do very well in large pots. Roses never really go dormant in zone 17 - they slow down, but don't stop. Pruning them is more for shape and to keep good air circulation around them. My neighbor neglects her roses entirely and they simply form big thorny upright evergreen shrubs. Cyclamen and begonias are traditional seasonal plants that overwinter if protected. If you have room, cestrum and abutilons will bring out the hummers.

You'll find that even the big box stores have decent garden centers, as they are competing with some great local nurseries in the Bay Area. Happy gardening!

Here's a couple of the Bloomingdale ranunculus from last April:
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Generally speaking, spring blooming bulbs need to be planted by November, and summer blooming bulbs should be planted by Feb.

Spring blooming bulbs include daffodils, tulips (which need approx. 6 week refrigeration to bloom), hyacinth, muscari.

Iris and daylillies should be fine to plant now.

Summer blooming bulbs/rhizomes include lillies, dahlias, begonias, glads,

Thanks for the ideas! I'm sooo excited about starting my garden! I hear you can grow just about anything around here, as long as the placement is right.

I'm going to a home/garden expo this weekend. So even if I can't get my hands in the dirt because of the rain...I'll be able to drool over some pretty flora and fauna.

Don't forget that California is home to many native bulbs that are prized and grown in Europe even today. Holland is the biggest grower of California native bulbs, which it happily exports to the United States.

California native bulbs go in the ground in fall, right after the first rains. They stay in the ground thereafter -- no need to dig them up and freeze them. They grow during California's wet winters and flower in spring, then go dormant in summer to reappear in late fall.

I am growing these in my garden without much effort (other than planting):
Triteleia laxa 'Queen Fabiola'
Allium unifolium
Brodiaea ixioides 'Prettyface'
Brodiaea californica

The following are a bit fussier (need fast draining soil) but very beautiful:
Calochortus luteus/venustus/superbus

Van Engelen has a great selection of bulbs, including many California natives.

Here is a link that might be useful: Van Engelen Bulbs

A general rule for California bulb growing is "if you have them, plant them" In zone 17 you have no frost to speak of and if your soil is well drained, MOST bulbs will live and multiply for years with no requirement for digging unless they are taking over the garden. Tulips will need to be chilled for at least 6 weeks before planting and should be replaced every year. Elephant ears the first year planted from a bulb are subject to rotting if planted before the soil warms. Once they have grown roots that will not be a problem and they can live for years. Al

One note: I've always thought Zone 17 should be divided. The warmer edges of 17 are very different from the cooler coastal edges where I live. Colocasia and caladiums sulk in my area, and melianthus major just gets horrid black mildew from our fog!

Enjoy your gardening. This is truly one of the best places in the world to live and garden.

ITA with you jkom51 they need to revise the zones.
It gets colder here than they say and the winds make the heat worse on plants.