I lived for 40 years in Watsonville, which is about 4 miles from the ocean, and prone to foggy summers. It is the marine influence that allows lettuce and strawberries to be an all summer crop. My impression of the Monterey peninsula climate was always cooler and windier than Watsonville. Your soil in my view is likely to be lean, well drained and low in humus. Monterey has always been short in the water supply, which suggests native plant gardens. Al

While you wont have to worry about salt spray damage a mile in from the shore line, I'd agree with Al, you would be hard pressed to find any property in that area that isn't directly influenced by proximity to the ocean. In general, any plants that prefer cooler summer conditions and appreciate the moderate temperatures year round will thrive there. You can always get a soil test done if you want an exact analysis of your conditions, but it sounds like you may have a sandy or silty loam soil from the color, probably lean on organic content and an average to neutral ph. Besides natives, succulents and many plants from Australia and South Africa thrive in Monterey in general. Check out the display gardens at Sierra Azul Nursery in Watsonville if you'd like to see examples that thrive with just once a week to once a month irrigation. The plantings at the UC Santa Cruz Botanic Garden are also well worth seeing for ideas, and the web site for Monterey Bay Nursery(wholesale only), has excellent growing information and photos of most any plant you might want for a coastal garden.

How nice to hear from someone else in Monterey County!

If you are talking about the little quarry near Veteran's Park, I lived a couple houses down from what we called "the green belt" for about 10 years before moving to the 68 corridor.

I battled pine trees and ivy, lack of heat (I was from Sonoma County and was in shock!) and very sandy soil. Most of the neighbors relied on containers for color and left the yards very natural. Water is a huge concern.

There is typically a window of sun (not heat) between 11 and 3pm...then the fog swirls over the hills. Don't expect to see a lot of sun in the summer--spring and fall are better.

I am no pro (the guys above are!), but I do know that area. Taking liberty with a Twain-ism "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in Monterey" :)

PS. PG is even foggier.

Sounded like the kind of weather perfect for green vegetables. Lettuce and Spinach?

There is a big conservation easement on the lot. Wondering if lettuce would be consider as 'California native plants' by now?

We visit Monterey 3x/yr (mostly to eat, LOL). I was so impressed with this protea which is living outdoors, on the bike trail behind Cannery Row. Just gorgeous!
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I also see a lot of Romneya coulteri "Fried-Egg Plant" in Monterey/PG, which makes me envious because it flops in my Oakland hills garden.
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I see a lot of plectranthus around there, which is low-water and loves the mild climate down there. Mostly the silvery leaf forms, but if you are willing to eke out a little more water, this chartreuse variegated plectranthus groundcover - I must have bought it at either Berkeley Hort or East Bay Nursery - is stunning in shade spots. It and the companion Iresine with its bright fuchsia foliage would be gorgeous in a pot together. Iresine is very tender so it would love your climate - it didn't love mine! A lot of people use bacopa, but I think the plectranthus is much prettier (but harder to find). The spiky foliage is an old-fashioned evergreen bearded iris, which I use everywhere:

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Although we weren't impressed by the food at Anton & Michel (Andre's Bouchee is sooooo much better), the containers had lovely combinations. This one has the silver-leaf plectranthus with coleus. Iresine is a similar color but a perennial, and would also work:
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And one container had this angel's wing begonia so large, I had to take a photo. Another plant that doesn't do well in my garden, too much competition:
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I would think all the usual 'tough shrubs, low water' would work, too: phormiums, euryops, pelargoniums, etc. If you get a chance, check out the new "Guardsman" phormium - it's stunning when backlit. Every time EBay Nursery gets some pots in, they're sold out in a few days' time:
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I have never had much luck with salvias, common sage does better for me. But I ran across this pineapple sage and it's been a stunning performer. Very little water, shrugs off cold air, gets big 3'Hx4'W very quickly. The flowers are small spikes but so bright they show up even from a distance:
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If you have the space, Phormium atropurpureum grows fast and very big. It's a spiky upright form, and looks terrific with the silver-leaf plectranthus as a groundcover at its feet (set them at least 2' apart to discourage the plectranthus from climbing over the phormium). Doesn't take much water to get it established, and hardly any at all to keep it going. Poor soil won't bother either one a bit!